Postal Code Routing with Routing Forms

Need to route leads to regional sales reps or service teams based on their location? meetergo's routing forms make it easy to direct visitors to the right person based on their postal code (ZIP code, PLZ, or postcode).

Why Use Postal Code Routing?

Postal code routing is essential for businesses with:

• Regional sales territories - Route leads to the rep responsible for their area
• Service coverage areas - Direct customers to technicians who serve their location
• Franchise networks - Connect visitors with their local franchise
• Multi-office operations - Guide clients to the nearest office location

Setting Up Postal Code Routing

Step 1: Create Your Routing Form

1. Go to Routing & Funnels
2. Click New Routing Form & Funnel
3. Enter a name like "Regional Sales Routing"
4. Click Create Form

Step 2: Add a Postal Code Field

1. In the form builder, add a new field
2. Choose Text Field as the field type
3. Label it appropriately (e.g., "Postal Code", "ZIP Code", or "PLZ")
4. Make it a required field to ensure you always capture this information

Step 3: Create Routing Rules

Now comes the powerful part - setting up rules to route based on postal codes.

Using "Starts With" for Regional Routing

The Starts With operator is perfect for postal code routing because postal codes are typically hierarchical - the first digits usually represent larger regions.

Example: German PLZ Routing

In Germany, the first digit of a PLZ indicates a major region:

• 0xxxx = Eastern Germany (Dresden, Leipzig)
• 1xxxx = Berlin region
• 2xxxx = Hamburg & Northern Germany
• 3xxxx = Hannover region
• 4xxxx = Düsseldorf region
• 5xxxx = Cologne region
• 6xxxx = Frankfurt region
• 7xxxx = Stuttgart region
• 8xxxx = Munich region
• 9xxxx = Nuremberg region

To set this up:

1. Go to the Routing Logic tab
2. Click Add Route
3. Set the condition:
   • Field: Postal Code
   • Operator: Starts With
   • Value: 1 (for Berlin region)
4. Set the action: Redirect to your Berlin sales rep's meeting type
5. Save the route

Repeat for each region you want to route.

Using "Contains" for Specific Areas

If you need to match specific postal codes within a region, use the Contains operator:

1. Add a new route
2. Set the condition:
   • Field: Postal Code
   • Operator: Contains
   • Value: 101 (for specific Berlin districts)
3. Set the action accordingly

Using Numeric Comparisons for Ranges

For postal codes that are purely numeric (like US ZIP codes), you can use numeric operators:

• Greater Than / Less Than - Route based on postal code ranges
• Greater Than or Equal / Less Than or Equal - Include boundary values

Example: US ZIP Code Ranges

Route West Coast leads (ZIP codes starting with 9):

1. Add a route with condition: Postal Code Greater Than or Equal 90000
2. Add another condition: Postal Code Less Than 100000
3. Set operator between conditions to AND

Step 4: Set Up Fallback Route

Always configure a fallback route for postal codes that don't match any of your rules:

1. Scroll to the Fallback Route section
2. Choose an action:
   • Redirect to a general sales team meeting type
   • Show a contact form
   • Display a custom message asking them to contact you

Advanced Postal Code Routing Strategies

Multiple Conditions per Route

Combine multiple postal code prefixes in a single route:

1. Create a route
2. Add first condition: Postal Code Starts With 1
3. Click Add Condition
4. Add second condition: Postal Code Starts With 2
5. Set the operator between conditions to OR

This routes both Berlin (1xxxx) and Hamburg (2xxxx) regions to the same Northern Germany team.

Combining with Other Criteria

Postal code routing works even better when combined with other qualification criteria:

• Company size + Location - Route enterprise leads in specific regions to senior reps
• Service type + Location - Direct installation requests to local service teams
• Budget + Location - Qualify leads before regional routing

Priority-Based Routing

Routes are evaluated in order from top to bottom. Use this to your advantage:

1. Put specific postal code matches first (e.g., 10115 for a VIP area)
2. Put broader regional matches below (e.g., 1 for general Berlin)
3. Keep the fallback at the bottom

Real-World Examples

Example 1: Insurance Sales Territories

An insurance company with regional agents:

Example 2: Home Service Company

A home service company with coverage limitations:

Example 3: Multi-Office Law Firm

A law firm with offices in different cities:

Best Practices

• Keep it simple - Start with broad regional routing and refine over time
• Test thoroughly - Use various postal codes to verify your routing works correctly
• Document your territories - Maintain a reference of which postal codes go where
• Review regularly - Update routes when territories change or new team members join
• Use clear labels - Name your routes descriptively (e.g., "Northern Region - Hamburg Team")

FAQ

Can I route international postal codes?

Yes! The Starts With and Contains operators work with any postal code format, including alphanumeric codes like UK postcodes (e.g., "SW1" for Central London).

What if someone enters an invalid postal code?

Invalid or unrecognized postal codes will fall through to your fallback route. Consider adding validation hints in your form or using the fallback to request clarification.

Can I have multiple team members for one region?

Yes! When setting the route action, you can redirect to a round-robin meeting type that distributes leads among multiple team members in that region.

How do I handle leads from outside my service area?

Use your fallback route to either show a "not in service area" message, redirect to an alternative resource, or collect their information via a contact form for future expansion.

Can I update routes without recreating the form?

Absolutely! You can edit routing rules anytime. Changes take effect immediately for new form submissions.

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Need help setting up your postal code routing? Check out our Getting Started with Routing Forms guide for the basics.