Create a custom date or time format. On the Home tab, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Number. You can also press CTRL+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box. In the Category box, click Date or Time, and then choose the number format that is closest in style to the one you want to create.

The TEXT function lets you change the way a number appears by applying formatting to it with format codes. It's useful in situations where you want to display numbers in a more readable format, or you want to combine numbers with text or symbols.

To see a short date like 2/2/2013, select the cell, and then click Home > Number Format > Short Date. For a longer date like Saturday, February 02, 2013, pick Long Date instead.

You can use the built-in number formats in Excel as is, or you can create your own custom number formats to change the appearance of numbers, dates, and times.

The DATEVALUE function converts a date that is stored as text to a serial number that Excel recognizes as a date. The DATEVALUE function is helpful in cases where a worksheet contains dates in a text format that you want to filter, sort, or format as dates, or use in date calculations.

Create a custom date or time format. On the Home tab, click the Dialog Box Launcher next to Number. You can also press CTRL+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box. In the Category box, click Date or Time, and then choose the number format that is closest in style to the one you want to create.

Fix text-formatted numbers by applying a number format. Format numbers as dates, currency, or even fractions to cells in a worksheet. For example, if you’re working on your quarterly budget, the Currency number format shows your numbers as money.

Available number formats in Excel. In Excel, you can format numbers in cells for things like currency, percentages, decimals, dates, phone numbers, or social security numbers. Select a cell or a cell range. On the Home tab, select Number from the drop-down. Press CTRL + 1 and select Number.

Quick Start: Format numbers in a worksheet. By applying different number formats, you can display numbers as percentages, dates, currency, and so on. For example, if you're working on your quarterly budget, you can use the Currency number format to show monetary values.

Create and build a custom numeric format to show your numbers as percentages, currency, dates, and more. To learn more about how to change number format codes, see Review guidelines for customizing a number format. Select the numeric data.