Real-Time vs Batch Phone Lookups

Real-Time Lookups

Real-time lookups query phone data on demand, returning results in milliseconds. Use this approach when you need instant decisions.

When to Use Real-Time

• Form validation — Check numbers during signup
• Fraud screening — Verify before high-risk transactions
• Call routing — Determine carrier before dialing
• On-demand verification — One-off lookups

Real-Time API Example

curl -X POST https://api-service.verirouteintel.io/api/v1/cnam \
  -H "Authorization: Bearer YOUR_API_KEY" \
  -H "Content-Type: application/json" \
  -d '{"phone_number": "15551234567"}'

# Response in ~200ms
{
  "data": {
    "number": "15551234567",
    "cnam": "JOHN SMITH"
  },
  "errors": []
}

Real-Time Considerations

• Latency — Add ~100-300ms to user flows
• Rate limits — Plan for API throttling
• Error handling — Have fallbacks for API failures
• Cost — Per-lookup pricing applies

Batch Processing

Batch processing handles large lists of phone numbers efficiently. Upload a CSV, process in the background, download enriched results.

When to Use Batch

• List cleaning — Validate contact lists before campaigns
• CRM enrichment — Add carrier/CNAM to existing records
• Lead scoring — Batch-process new lead lists
• Periodic updates — Refresh stale data

Batch Processing Flow

1. Upload CSV — Submit your phone number list
2. Preview results — See sample data before paying
3. Confirm and process — Approve the job
4. Get notified — Email when complete
5. Download results — Get enriched CSV

Batch Advantages

• Volume discounts — Lower per-lookup cost
• Preview first — See what you're getting before paying
• Async processing — Don't wait for results
• Email notification — Know when your job is done

Comparison

Hybrid Approach

Many businesses use both approaches:

• Batch for initial list import and periodic refreshes
• Real-time for new records and instant verification

# Pseudocode for hybrid approach
def process_phone(phone, use_cache=True):
    # Check cache first (populated by batch)
    if use_cache and phone in cache:
        if cache[phone].age < 30_days:
            return cache[phone]

    # Fall back to real-time lookup
    return realtime_lookup(phone)

Best Practices

1. Use batch for bulk operations — More cost-effective
2. Preview before paying — VeriRoute Intel shows results first
3. Cache real-time results — Avoid duplicate lookups
4. Handle API errors — Build retry logic and fallbacks
5. Set up notifications — Get emailed when batch jobs complete