Formatting

Create a custom number format

Create and build a custom numeric format to show your numbers as percentages, currency, dates, and more. To learn more about how to change number format codes, see Review guidelines for customizing a number format.

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  1. Select the numeric data.

  2. On the Home tab, in the Number group, select the small arrow to open the Dialog box.

    Dialog Box Launcher in Number group

  3. Select Custom.

  4. In the Type list, select an existing format, or type a new one in the box.

  5. To add text to your number format:

    • Type what you want in quotation marks.

    • Add a space to separate the number and text.

  6. Select OK.

Excel provides many options for displaying numbers in different formats like percentages, currency, and dates. If the built-in formats don’t work for your needs, you might want to create a custom number format.

You can’t create custom formats in Excel for the web but if you have the Excel desktop application, you can click the Open in Excel button to open the workbook and create them. For more information, see Create a custom number format.

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