Call Tracker
See what makes your phone ring.
Every call tied back to the campaign, keyword, and ad that drove it. Call recording, SMS, and real time reporting included.
Unlimited users. No contracts.
Call Tracking Numbers: What They Are and How Many You Need
A call tracking number is a phone number assigned to one marketing source. It forwards to your real business line, so the caller reaches you as usual, and every call it receives is credited to the source it was assigned to. Put a different number on each campaign and your call log tells you which campaigns make the phone ring.
This guide covers how call tracking numbers work, the choice between local and toll-free, and how to work out how many you need.
What Is a Call Tracking Number?
A call tracking number is an ordinary phone number with one job: to stand in front of your real number for a single ad, campaign, or page. Callers cannot tell it apart from any other number. It rings the same phone, and the person answering has the same conversation.
The difference is on your side. Because that number only ever appeared in one place, a call to it can only have come from that place. That is the whole idea, and everything else in call tracking is built on it.
How a Call Tracking Number Works
- You choose a number and name the source it belongs to, such as "Spring postcard" or "Google Ads".
- You set a destination, the phone that should ring. That can be your main line, a mobile, or a call flow with a greeting and a menu.
- The call is forwarded the moment someone dials, and the source is saved with the call.
- Your real number is untouched. Existing customers keep calling it directly, as covered in call tracking with your existing phone system.
Local or Toll-Free Tracking Numbers
| Local number | Toll-free number | |
|---|---|---|
| Looks like | Your area code | 888 or 866 |
| Best for | Local ads and service areas | Campaigns that run across several regions |
| Caller’s impression | A business nearby | A national business |
| Replying to texts | Yes, once your business is registered | No |
| Extra number on Call Tracker | $4 each | $5 each |
A local number is the usual choice for a local business, because customers associate a local area code with a local business. Call Tracker has local and toll-free numbers in more than 300 area codes across the US and Canada, and you can search by area or prefix when you set one up.
Three Kinds of Tracking Number
The same phone numbers are used in three different ways, depending on where the caller sees them.
- A fixed number for an offline ad. One number printed on one thing: a billboard, a mailer, a van, a radio spot. It never changes.
- A campaign number on your website. One number shown only to visitors who arrive from a particular source or campaign, such as your Facebook ads. Everyone else sees your normal number.
- A number pool on your website. A set of numbers shared out one per visitor. Because each visitor has their own number during their visit, a call can be matched to the search keyword and the pages they viewed.
The two website kinds rely on dynamic number insertion, a script that swaps the number on the page. Our explainer on what dynamic number insertion is goes through it step by step.
How Many Call Tracking Numbers Do You Need?
Count them by kind, then add the totals.
- Offline ads: one number for each ad you want to measure separately. Two postcards with different offers need two numbers.
- Online campaigns: one number for each campaign or source you want reported on its own.
- Number pool: enough numbers that two visitors are never shown the same one at the same time. A good starting estimate is the highest number of visitors your site gets in an hour.
Here is a worked example for a local service business:
| Source | Kind | Numbers |
|---|---|---|
| Website, peaks at 6 visitors an hour | Number pool | 6 |
| Vehicle wraps | Fixed | 1 |
| Spring postcard | Fixed | 1 |
| Radio ad | Fixed | 1 |
| Total | 9 |
Nine numbers fits inside the 10 that come with our Starter plan. Pool size is the part that grows: a site with heavy traffic needs a larger pool, and you can change the pool size whenever your traffic changes.
If you only want to know which channel a call came from, and not the keyword, skip the pool and use campaign numbers. A handful of numbers then covers a whole website.
Mistakes to Avoid With Tracking Numbers
- Reusing a number in two places. Once a number is on two ads, you cannot tell which one produced a call.
- Hard-coding a tracking number into your website. Let the script swap it. Your real number should stay in the page's code and in your business listings.
- A pool that is too small. When visitors outnumber the pool, two people can see the same number and the keyword detail gets less reliable.
- Dropping a number while the ad is still out there. A postcard on a fridge can produce a call a year later. Keep the number for as long as the ad could still be seen.
What a Call Tracking Number Costs
Tracking numbers are usually priced one of two ways: included in a monthly plan, or billed one by one on top of it. The difference matters more than the plan price once you run a number pool. Our guide to call tracking cost compares the models.
On Call Tracker, Starter includes 10 local numbers for $37 a month, Pro includes 20 for $87, and Agency includes 40 for $147. Beyond that, a local number is $4 and a toll-free number is $5. The full breakdown is on the pricing page.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a call tracking number?
A phone number assigned to one marketing source. It forwards to your real line, and every call to it is credited to that source.
How many call tracking numbers do I need?
One per offline ad, one per online campaign, and a pool about as large as your busiest hour of website visitors.
Should I use a local or toll-free tracking number?
Local for local advertising. Toll-free for a campaign that runs across several regions.
Do callers know they are calling a tracking number?
No. It looks and works like any other number, and the call reaches you as usual.
Can I keep my existing phone number?
Yes. Tracking numbers forward to it. You can also port it into your account to track it directly.
Get Your First Tracking Number
Choose a number, point it at your phone, and put it on one campaign. Start a 14 day free trial of Call Tracker. Every plan includes call recording, call flows, and unlimited users, and plans start at $37 a month with 10 numbers.
Alex Phelps
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