VALUE Function
Turns number-like text into an actual number.
Syntax
Parameters
| Parameter | Description | Required |
|---|---|---|
| text | The text enclosed in quotes or a cell reference containing text that looks like a number. | Required |
Basic Example
Convert a numeric text string
=VALUE("123.45")The quoted text is parsed into the numeric value 123.45.
Advanced Examples
Example 1: Convert currency text
A cell A1 contains the text "$1,000"Strip formatting and get a number
=VALUE(A1)Example 2: Convert a time string
Cell A1 holds "6:00" as textGet the fractional day value
=VALUE("6:00")How VALUE Works
VALUE parses the text using the workbook's locale settings for decimals, thousands separators, currency, dates, and times, and returns the corresponding serial number. In modern Excel, many functions coerce text automatically, so VALUE is less often required.
Important Notes & Limitations
If the text is not recognizable as a number, VALUE returns #VALUE!.
Date and time parsing depends on the system locale.
Largely redundant in modern Excel because arithmetic and functions auto-coerce text numbers.
Common Errors & Fixes
#VALUE! errorThe text contains non-numeric characters VALUE cannot interpret.Fix: Clean the text with functions like SUBSTITUTE or CLEAN before converting.
Wrong decimal interpretationLocale uses a comma as the decimal separator but the text uses a period.Fix: Match the text format to the workbook locale or use SUBSTITUTE to swap separators.
Download Practice File
VALUE
valuePractice VALUE with Real Data
Download a sample CSV file with pre-populated data and practice exercises for the VALUE function. Works in both Excel and Google Sheets.
File format: CSV (comma-separated values) - opens in Excel, Google Sheets, and all spreadsheet apps
Related Tutorials
Convert Text to Number in Excel and Google Sheets
Convert text to number in Excel and Google Sheets with VALUE, multiplication and Paste Special. Handles currency symbols, hidden spaces and #VALUE! errors.
Excel VALUE! Error Fix
The #VALUE! error means Excel expected a number but found text. Learn how to fix an excel value error fix fast using IFERROR, VALUE, and clean data checks.
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Learn Google Sheets REGEXEXTRACT with RE2 patterns: capture groups, case-insensitive flags, error handling and how to extract all matches from a string.
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