HLR lookup API and bulk mobile verification

Why choose Provero for HLR

HLR results are only as good as the network route behind them.

Provero works with mobile network operators and specialist network providers in different regions, with connections covering more than 1,300 mobile networks worldwide. Each request is routed according to coverage, speed, result quality and cost, with alternative routes available when required.

You do not have to work out which provider gives the best result for a particular country or carrier. Provero handles the routing and translates each network’s answer into the same response structure.

We have worked with HLR for more than ten years. One API key and one prepaid balance cover single lookups, bulk files and the other Provero checks, with no plan or monthly commitment.

What an HLR lookup tells you about a mobile number

An HLR lookup asks the mobile network about the number itself, rather than checking how it is written. Status is the core result. Network and porting detail comes back where the destination network provides it, so the information available varies by country and network.

• Network status

  Live, dead or out of network (absent subscriber), or rejected when the number is not a mobile.

• Current carrier

  The network serving the number now, including after porting. Use it as a mobile carrier lookup for routing and pricing.

• Original network

  The network the number was originally allocated to, with its country and dialling prefix, where available.

• Porting

  Whether the number has moved from its original network, and the network it moved to, in the detailed response where available.

• MCC/MNC and status codes

  Mobile country and network codes, the underlying status and error codes, and whether an error is permanent, in the detailed response.

• Roaming and network history

  Roaming information is available to approved accounts for fraud screening. Observed network history from earlier lookups can be provided on request where held.

For specific country, roaming or historical coverage, email support@provero.io.

Clear results, with more detail when you need it

Get a straightforward result you can act on, or deeper network information for your integration.

Built for large files and live API traffic

1.4M

records in a single bulk upload

Two checks per record, 2.8 million lookups in one Provero job.

~15 minutes

for a typical 100,000-record HLR file

Standard bulk processing, available without any special configuration.

125,000 in 2m 39s

HLR lookups with high-throughput processing

Configured for time-sensitive workloads. Email support@provero.io before you upload.

How to read each result

Live, dead and out of network are different outcomes, and each calls for a different decision. A failed lookup is different again: it tells you about the route, not the number.

In the detailed response, error.permanent shows whether an error is permanent. A lookup that failed with a non-permanent error is worth retrying.

How to run HLR lookups through the API or in bulk

The same lookup sits behind both routes.

HLR API example

POST https://api.provero.io/api/validate/phone

{
  "phone": "+447700900123",
  "route": "standard",
  "detailed": false
}

{
  "results": [
    {
      "to": "+447700900123",
      "status": "Live",
      "live": true,
      "dead": false,
      "outOfNetwork": false,
      "currentNetwork": "Example Mobile Network",
      "originalNetwork": "Example Mobile Network"
    }
  ]
}

Illustrative example. +447700900123 is from a range reserved for drama and documentation, and the network names are placeholders, so the result shown is not a real lookup.

HLR lookup pricing

From £0.0042 per lookup, down to £0.0023 at volume

No plan or monthly commitment. Top up your Provero balance and use it across the checks you need.

Paid from a prepaid balance that you can spend across any check. See current rates.

Need volume pricing? Email pricing@provero.io.

Related checks

No single check settles whether a record can be trusted. These are the ones people usually run alongside HLR phone verification, each answering a different question about the same record.

• Phone format validation Validate phone number structure and return E.164, international and national formats.
• Mobile network KYC Compare supplied identity details with mobile-network subscriber data, field by field.
• SIM swap check Check whether a mobile number's SIM changed within a chosen period.
• Name & phone match Coming soon Check whether a supplied name matches the phone number.