Fix Text Numbers in Excel Using the VALUE Function

Ever encountered numbers in Excel that just won't behave like numbers? That’s likely because they’re stored as text. These “text numbers” look fine but don’t work in calculations, charts, or formulas. That’s where the VALUE function comes in.

🔍 What Does the VALUE Function Do?

The VALUE function converts a number stored as text into an actual numeric value.

📘 Syntax:

=VALUE(text)

text is the text string or cell that contains a number formatted as text.

📌 Example:

If cell A2 contains "123" (as text), use:

=VALUE(A2)

Excel will now treat the result as the number 123, ready for calculations!

💡 Why Use VALUE?

• Clean up imported or pasted data
• Enable proper sorting and filtering
• Fix formula errors involving numeric calculations

⚠️ Pro Tip:

If you need to apply this to a whole column, combine it with ARRAYFORMULAS or use Paste Special → Values after applying.

🎯 Final Thoughts

The VALUE function is a hidden gem for anyone dealing with raw or inconsistent data. Try it out and see your data behave the way it should!

📌 Follow us at ScriptDataInsights for daily Excel and Power BI tricks!