The escape character in custom number formats is the backslash ().

The key benefit of number formats is that they change how a number looks without changing any data.

As a bonus, they make worksheets look more consistent and professional.

Using custom formats, you can do things like format dates to show month names only, format large numbers in millions or thousands, and display negative numbers in red.

You can use them in tables, charts, pivot tables, formulas, and directly on the worksheet.

For example, the table below shows 7 different number formats applied to the same date, January 1, 2019.

Below this menu to the right, there is small button to access all number formats, including custom formats.

Youll find a complete list of number formats, organized by category, on the Number tab.

The display of numbers using the General number format is somewhat fluid.

Excel will display as many decimal places as space allows, and will round decimals and use scientific number format when space is limited.

The screen below shows the same values in column B and D, but D is narrower and Excel makes adjustments on the fly.

For example if you enter a valid date, Excel will change to Date format.

If you enter a percentage like 5, Excel will change to Percentage, and so on.

The Custom category shows a list of codes you can use for custom number formats, along with an input area to enter codes manually in various combinations.

Here you can modify existing custom code, or to enter your own codes from scratch.

Excel will show a small preview of the code applied to the first selected value above the input area.

If you copy a value formatted with a custom format from one workbook to another, the custom number format will be transferred into the workbook along with the value.

You can use the Delete button to delete custom formats you no longer need.

Each number format can have up to four sections, separated with semi-colons as follows.

To read a custom number format, learn to spot the semi-colons and mentally parse the code into these sections.

By default, the first section applies to positive numbers, the second section applies to negative numbers, the third section applies to zero values, and the forth section applies to text.

The following characters can be be used without any special handling.

For example, the asterisk (), hash (), and percent () characters cant be used directly in a custom number format they wont appear in the result.

Excel Format Types For Mac Address