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How to pad numbers with leading zeros in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=RIGHT("00000"&A2, 5)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| ID |
| 42 |
=RIGHT("00000"&A2, 5)→00042
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Step by step
- 1"00000"&A2 sticks five zeros in front of the number.
- 2RIGHT(…,5) keeps only the last 5 characters.
- 342 becomes "00042"; change the width by adjusting both 5s.
Tips
- TEXT(A2,"00000") does the same in Excel and is often clearer.
- The result is text, not a number — fine for IDs you won't do math on.
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Frequently asked
Why do my leading zeros disappear when I type them?
Spreadsheets drop leading zeros from numbers. Store the value as text, or build it with this formula.
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