In Excel for Windows, select your cells and press Ctrl+Shift+! to apply Number format: two decimal places, a thousands separator, and a minus sign for negative values. On a US keyboard, hold Ctrl and Shift, then press the 1 key on the top row.
If you've been opening a dialog box every time a report needs commas and decimals, this is a useful shortcut to keep nearby. It changes how numbers look; it doesn't change their underlying numeric values.
Apply Number format to a range
Suppose column B contains three amounts for a report. Start with these numbers in cells B2:B4, using General format:
| Cell | Before | After Ctrl+Shift+! |
|---|---|---|
| B2 | 1234.5 | 1,234.50 |
| B3 | -9876.543 | -9,876.54 |
| B4 | 42 | 42.00 |
- Enter the three values in B2:B4.
- Select B2:B4 together.
- Press Ctrl+Shift+!.
The results above assume a comma for thousands and a period for decimals. Your regional settings may use different separators.
Now select B3 and look at the formula bar: the entered value is still -9876.543. The cell displays -9,876.54 because the format shows only two decimal places. Calculations still use the stored value. Microsoft's number format guide explains this distinction between a value and its display.
Windows number format shortcuts
These shortcuts apply to the selected cells in desktop Excel for Windows. Microsoft's Excel keyboard shortcut reference uses a US keyboard layout; other layouts can differ.
| Format or command | Shortcut | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Number | Ctrl+Shift+! | Two decimals, grouped thousands, minus sign for negatives |
| Currency | Ctrl+Shift+$ | Two decimals; negative amounts in parentheses |
| Percentage | Ctrl+Shift+% | Whole percentages, without decimal places |
| Scientific | Ctrl+Shift+^ | Exponential notation with two decimals |
| Date | Ctrl+Shift+# | Day, month, and year |
| Time | Ctrl+Shift+@ | Hours and minutes, with AM/PM |
| General | Ctrl+Shift+~ | General number display |
| Format Cells | Ctrl+1 | Opens formatting options |
Choose the format that matches the data. Applying Percentage to an existing value of 0.25 displays 25%; applying it to 25 displays 2500%. Likewise, adding a currency symbol doesn't convert an amount to another currency. For that, follow the calculation steps in our currency conversion guide.
For other everyday keyboard commands, see 20 useful Excel shortcuts.
What about Mac and Excel for the web?
Mac: Microsoft lists Control+Shift+! for Number format and Command+1 for Format Cells. Use the Control key for the Number shortcut. Keyboard layout and macOS shortcut conflicts can affect it.
Excel for the web: Microsoft lists Ctrl+Shift+1 for Number format and Ctrl+1 for the Number Format dialog. Browsers can intercept shortcuts. Check Help > Keyboard Shortcuts, including Override browser shortcuts, or choose Number from the Home tab's format list.
Use Format Cells when you need more control
The shortcut is handy when two decimals are exactly what you need. For a report that needs three decimals, a different negative-number style, or a particular currency symbol, open Format Cells instead.
- Select B2:B4 again.
- Press Ctrl+1 on Windows or Command+1 on Mac.
- On the Number tab, choose the Number category.
- Set Decimal places to 3, keep Use 1000 Separator selected, and choose the negative-number style you need.
- Select OK.
B3 now displays -9,876.543 if you kept the minus-sign style. For monetary amounts, choose Currency and select the symbol explicitly. For more ways to present your worksheet, browse our Excel formatting guides.
When the result isn't what you expected
- Only one cell changed: Check the selection. Select the entire range before applying the format, after finishing any cell entry.
- The shortcut does nothing: On a US keyboard, use the top-row
1with Ctrl and Shift held down. On another layout, use Format Cells if the key combination doesn't match. In the web app, check the browser shortcut settings above. - The commas and periods look different: Excel normally takes its separators from system regional settings. In Windows Excel, check File > Options > Advanced > Use system separators. Microsoft's separator settings instructions explain the controls. Dates have their own regional considerations; see regional date formats in Excel.
- You wanted parentheses or a different number of decimals: Open Format Cells and choose those settings. The Number shortcut reapplies its preset, so it won't preserve a three-decimal format you selected earlier.
- Imported numbers still won't format: They may be stored as text. If Excel shows a number-stored-as-text warning, select the cells, open the warning menu, and choose Convert to Number, then apply the shortcut again. See Microsoft's text-to-number conversion instructions. Keep identifiers that need leading zeros as text.
- The cells show
#####: For the ordinary numbers in this example, widen column B so the formatted values fit. Adding separators and decimal places takes more room.