An HLR request allows you to view what mobile number belongs to what operator in real-time and see if the number is active. HLR requests can only be done via API and are asynchronous, meaning that you submit your request in an API call, receive a reference number, and perform a GET request with this number to receive the results on your API callback URL. The table below visualises the possible statuses you will receive on your callback URL, their meanings and the possible actions to undertake.

StatusMeaningAction ActiveThe number is reachable  AbsentThe number is not reachable. This can be due to a loss in connection, or the phone being switched off.Reach out to the end-user to perform a restart of their device. BarredThe number has a block from their operator, meaning the number is not reachable. This can be due to multiple reasons and we cannot always see what causes this.

Ask the end-user to reach out to their operator to resolve the issue

Unknown SubscriberThe number is invalid and thus not reachableCheck with the end-user that they are submitting an invalid number

FailedWe were unable to reach the number to perform the HLR check. This can be because the number itself is not reachable, or an issue with the connection over which we are checking.If you are getting a lot of ‘failed’ results for a certain destination, please share at least 3 example numbers and the timestamps of your HLR lookups so that we can launch an investigation with the HLR provider.