Convert Text to Number in Excel: 4 ways, fastest first

Numbers that arrived as text sit on the left of the cell, ignore SUM, and sort wrong. Four fixes.

How to tell

Text-numbers are left-aligned and usually show a small green triangle in the corner. Real numbers sit on the right.

Way 1: the warning icon (fastest)

1. Select the cells.
2. Click the yellow warning icon that appears beside the selection.
3. Click Convert to Number.

Way 2: Paste Special multiply (no triangle showing)

1. Type 1 in any empty cell. Copy it.
2. Select the text-numbers. Right-click › Paste Special › Operation: Multiply › OK.
3. Delete the 1.

Multiplying by 1 forces Excel to treat them as numbers.

Way 3: VALUE formula

=VALUE(A1)

Drag down, then copy and Paste Special › Values over the original.

Way 4: Text to Columns

Select the column › Data › Text to Columns › Finish. Nothing to configure — Finish alone converts them.

Check it worked

Select the cells. The status bar shows a Sum. Text-numbers only show Count.

When none of these work

There is a hidden character — a non-breaking space or a currency symbol. Clean first:

=VALUE(TRIM(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A1,CHAR(160),""),"₹","")))

Stop it happening

Import CSVs with Data › From Text/CSV and set number columns properly — see CSV to Excel.