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How to format a phone number in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=TEXT(VALUE(A2),"(###) ###-####")Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Store the phone number in column A as digits only, e.g., 5551234567 (no dashes or parentheses).
- 2To format with TEXT: =TEXT(VALUE(A2),"(###) ###-####") — VALUE() converts text digits to a number first.
- 3Alternatively build the format manually: ="("&LEFT(A2,3)&") "&MID(A2,4,3)&"-"&RIGHT(A2,4).
- 4The manual method works even if the digits are stored as text and avoids potential issues with leading zeros.
- 5Paste the formula next to your data and copy down.
Tips
- If numbers come in mixed formats (with or without dashes), first strip non-digits: =SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-","")," ","") before formatting.
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Frequently asked
What if the number has an extension?
Separate the extension first, format the base 10 digits, then concatenate the extension: =formatted_number&" ext. "&extension.
Can I format international numbers?
Use the manual concatenation method and adjust the segment lengths to match the target country's format, e.g., +44 for UK.
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Turn numbers stored as text into real numbers with VALUE or by multiplying by 1 — the fix for sums that ignore values.
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