It's very common for spreadsheet users to import data only to find they can't perform mathematical operations on the data set. This is because the values are stored as text instead of numbers.
In this article we will show you how to convert text to number in google sheets in just a few simple steps using the VALUE function.
=VALUE(string)
Where
String can either be the string enclosed in double quotes or a reference to the cell containing the string
For this example, the string we want to convert to a number is stored in cell A1.
To convert string to number, we will use the following formula:
=VALUE(A1)
Where the string is stored in cell A1.
You can type this verbatim to a cell; for example, B1.
Alternatively, you can do the following:
1. Click cell B1
2. Type =VALUE(
3. Click the cell A1
4. Type )
If the value stored in the cell is a string, the value is left-aligned while if the value is stored in the cell as a number, it is right-aligned. In our example, you can easily see that A1 contains a string text while B1, where the formula is located, contains a number.
We hope this article has helped you and given you a better understanding of how to convert text to number in Google Sheets. You might also like our articles on how to convert currency in Google Sheets and how to convert time to decimal in Google Sheets.
To optimize your workflow, we recommend reading our guide on how to send automatic reminder emails in Gmail. Check out our article on how to automatically send emails from Google Sheets.
