How to Format Phone Numbers in Excel (Including E.164)

To format phone numbers in Excel, first strip each number to its digits, then rebuild it in the format you want. For display, that's usually (415) 555-2671 or 415-555-2671. For importing into a CRM, dialer or SMS tool, use E.164: +14155552671. The formulas below cover both and work in Excel for Microsoft 365, with fallbacks for older versions.

Before you start, set your phone column to Text (or import the CSV with Data → From Text/CSV and set the column type to Text). Otherwise Excel drops leading zeros and the + sign. We explain why in validating phone numbers in Excel.

Which format to use

Format	Example	Use it for
National, US style	(415) 555-2671	Display, printed lists, email signatures
Dashes	415-555-2671	Display, forms that expect dashes
International, readable	+1 415 555 2671	Display for international audiences
E.164	+14155552671	CRMs, dialers, SMS tools, de-duplication

If the list is going into software, use E.164. It's the one format every system reads the same way. More in E.164 phone number format.

Step 1: Strip to digits

With the raw number in A2, put this in B2:

=REGEXREPLACE(A2,"[^0-9]","")

On Excel versions without REGEXREPLACE, use nested SUBSTITUTE:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2," ",""),"-",""),"(",""),")",""),".",""),"+","")

Every format below starts from this column of plain digits.

Format as (415) 555-2671

For 10-digit US numbers, build the format from pieces:

="("&MID(B2,1,3)&") "&MID(B2,4,3)&"-"&MID(B2,7,4)

If some rows have 11 digits with a leading 1, take the last 10 first:

=LET(d,RIGHT(B2,10),"("&MID(d,1,3)&") "&MID(d,4,3)&"-"&MID(d,7,4))

For dashes only, swap the punctuation:

=MID(B2,1,3)&"-"&MID(B2,4,3)&"-"&MID(B2,7,4)

These formulas write text, so the result looks the same everywhere you paste or export it.

The custom format alternative

You can also select the cells, press Ctrl+1, choose Custom, and enter:

(000) 000-0000

Excel also has a built-in Special → Phone Number format in US settings. Both only work when the cell holds a number, not text, and they only change how the cell looks: the stored value is still 4155552671, and that's what gets exported. For anything you'll export, use the formulas.

Convert to E.164

For US and Canadian numbers:

=LET(d,B2,IF(LEN(d)=10,"+1"&d,IF(AND(LEN(d)=11,LEFT(d,1)="1"),"+"&d,"CHECK")))

For UK numbers, drop the national 0 and add +44:

=LET(d,B2,IF(AND(LEN(d)=11,LEFT(d,1)="0"),"+44"&MID(d,2,10),IF(AND(LEN(d)=12,LEFT(d,2)="44"),"+"&d,"CHECK")))

For numbers that already have a country code but messy punctuation, just add the + back:

="+"&B2

Rows marked CHECK don't fit the expected length. Look at those by hand: they're usually missing digits, extensions, or numbers from another country. Our US and UK format guides, and the phone format hub, give the rules for other countries.

Readable international format

To show +1 415 555 2671 from a US E.164 number in C2:

=LEFT(C2,2)&" "&MID(C2,3,3)&" "&MID(C2,6,3)&" "&MID(C2,9,4)

Spacing rules differ by country, so this formula is US-only. A UK mobile is usually written +44 7911 123456.

Flash Fill for one-off jobs

For a quick, small list, type the format you want next to the first two or three numbers, then press Ctrl+E. Excel's Flash Fill copies the pattern down the column. It's fast, but it guesses: check the results, and don't use it on mixed formats or mixed countries.

Keep the format when you save

• Saving as CSV: text values like +14155552671 are saved as they are. Number formats are not, so a custom format is lost.
• Reopening the CSV: Excel will strip the + and zeros again unless you import with the column set to Text.
• Pasting into another tool: copy the formula column, then Paste Special → Values before deleting the helper columns.

When formulas aren't enough

Formulas format a number; they don't check it. (415) 555-267 formats happily into something wrong, and a mixed-country list needs a different rule for every country. Formatting also won't tell you if a number is a mobile, or remove duplicates for you: see removing duplicate phone numbers for that step.

For a whole list, let a validator format and check at the same time. In SimpleVerifier:

1. Save the sheet as a CSV and upload it on the verifier. The phone column is found automatically; numbers without a country code are read as US numbers.
2. Every valid number comes back in a phone_e164 column, checked against its country's real numbering plan, with phone_country and phone_type alongside.
3. Invalid numbers are marked, so you know which rows to fix.
4. On the Email + Phone plan ($49.99/month), numbers also get a live carrier lookup for the carrier and real line type (mobile, landline or VoIP), with 5,000 lookups a month and failed lookups not counted.

Unlimited format checks are included in the $29.99 Pro plan. To format and check a single number, the free phone number validator shows its E.164 form instantly.