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How to add zeros in front of numbers in excel

User Wosis
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Final answer:

To add zeros in front of numbers in Excel, use the 'Format Cells' custom number format or the TEXT function. The specific format might look like '00######' depending on the number of zeros needed, or the TEXT formula like '=TEXT(A1, "00000")' for a five-digit number with leading zeros.

Step-by-step explanation:

To add zeros in front of numbers in Excel, you can use the TEXT function or format cells with a custom number format. For example, if you want to add two zeros in front of a number, you would select the cells and then go to 'Format Cells' (by right-clicking and choosing 'Format Cells' or pressing Ctrl+1).

Then you would go to the 'Number' tab, choose 'Custom,' and type in the format '00######' where the number of zeros set how many leading zeros you want. If you want the number to always have a specific length, with leading zeros, just use that many zeros in the format (e.g., '00000' for a five-digit number).

Alternatively, to add leading zeros using a formula, if the number 123 is in cell A1 and you want to display it as 00123, you could use the formula =TEXT(A1, "00000") in another cell. This formula converts the number into text with the specified format including leading zeros.

User Bishwash
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