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How to create a sequential invoice number in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Data cleaning & shapingExcel & Google Sheets
="INV-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"0000")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Invoice_Num | Client | Amount |
| Acme Corp | 1200 | |
| Beta LLC | 800 | |
| Gamma Inc | 2400 |
="INV-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"0000")→INV-0000
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Step by step
- 1Start your invoice table in row 2 with headers in row 1 (e.g., Invoice#, Date, Client, Amount).
- 2In cell A2, enter ="INV-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"0000") — this produces INV-0001 in row 2, INV-0002 in row 3, and so on.
- 3Copy the formula down for as many invoice rows as you need.
- 4To start from a number other than 1, adjust the formula: ="INV-"&TEXT(ROW()-1+500,"0000") starts at INV-0501.
Tips
- Once your invoice numbers are set, copy the entire column and paste as Values Only so the numbers remain fixed even if rows are moved or inserted above.
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Frequently asked
How do I include the year in the invoice number?
Use ="INV-"&YEAR(TODAY())&"-"&TEXT(ROW()-1,"0000") to produce INV-2026-0001 style numbers.
Will invoice numbers change if I insert a row above?
Yes — ROW()-based numbers shift when rows are inserted. To prevent this, paste the formula results as static values after generating them.
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