Do you pay attention to the formatting of the numeric data you enter into your spreadsheet? Numbers are frequently formatted as text, which can cause all kinds of problems for formulas. Here are several Excel conversion methods for text to numbers.
One of the following approaches might be more effective for you depending on how your number is input as text. For instance, changing the cell format may be laborious if you have a lot of nonadjacent cells. Or you might not utilize that technique if you don’t notice the warning symbol.
Following process can easily tells you how to convert text to numbers in excel.
How to change the cell format in excel:
- Change the cell format on the Home tab to quickly and easily convert text to a number. Use the drop-down menu in the Number area at the top. Select “Number” from the drop-down menu.

- As an alternative, select “Format Cells” from the context menu when right-clicking the cell(s). Pick “Number” from the left menu under the Number tab. Click “OK” after adjusting the Decimal Places if necessary.

- If you choose, you can use the General format for the Number format. Excel’s standard number format is general. In contrast to other number formats, General uses scientific notation for values beyond 12 digits and rounds decimal numbers if the cell is not big enough to hold the complete string.
How to use the warning symbol:
- This is a quick technique to transform the text if you enter your data and notice a caution symbol in the bottom left corner. A description will appear when your cursor is above the warning, as shown in the screenshot below.

- “Convert to Number” can be selected by clicking the drop-down arrow next to the warning.

Select text to columns in excel:
Perhaps you have a whole column of text-formatted numbers. The best option is to use the Text to Columns tool. But keep in mind that this option also works for cell ranges.
- Click “Text to Columns” in the Data Tools area of the ribbon after selecting the column and switching to the Data tab.

- Simply click “Finish” when the wizard appears. Alternately, you can proceed through the steps by clicking “Next” and then “Finish” without making any changes.

By doing this, the format is changed to Excel’s standard General format for numbers. The format can be left unchanged, or you can select the cells and pick “Number” from the Number section on the Home page, as previously mentioned.
Note: This above written article is an attempt to show you how to convert text to number in excel formula online, 2016 and 2019, in both windows and mac.
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