If a built-in number format does not meet your needs, you can create a new number format that is based on an existing number format and add it to the list of custom number formats. For example, if you're creating a spreadsheet that contains customer information, you can create a number format for telephone numbers. You can apply the custom number format to a string of numbers in a cell to format them as a telephone number.
Important
Custom number formats affect only the way a number is displayed and do not affect the underlying value of the number. Custom number formats are stored in the active workbook and are not available to new workbooks that you open. For more information about changing the settings for new workbooks, see
Control how workbooks and sheets are created.
Do any of the following:
 | Create a custom number format |
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On the Home tab, under Number, on the Number Format pop-up menu 
, click Custom.
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In the Format Cells dialog box, under Category, click Custom.
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In the Type list, select the built-in format that most resembles the one that you want to create. For example, 0.00.
The number format that you select appears in the Type box.
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In the Type box, modify the number format codes to create the exact format that you want. For example,
000-000-0000.
Your changes will not alter the built-in format. Instead, your changes create a new custom number format.
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When you have finished, click OK.
| Apply a custom number format |
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Select the cell or range of cells that you want to format.
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On the Home tab, under Number, on the Number Format pop-up menu , click Custom.
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In the Format Cells dialog box, under Category, click Custom.
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At the bottom of the Type list, select the built-in format that you just created. For example, 000-000-0000.
The number format that you select appears in the Type box.
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Click OK.
| Delete a custom number format |
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On the Home tab, under Number, on the Number Format pop-up menu , click Custom.
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In the Format Cells dialog box, under Category, click Custom.
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In the Type list, select the custom number format, and then click Delete.
 | Notes |
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