How to Use WPS Number Format on Windows

Use Number Format with 4 how-to topics covering quick formatting, right-click formatting, shortcut-based formatting, and custom number codes; 4 topics are Free and 0 are membership-related.

How-to Index

How-to Guide

1. Quickly apply a number format from the toolbar

Entry: Home tab → Number format dropdown

1. Select the cell or cell range that you want to format.
2. Click the Home tab at the top of the window.
3. In the Number group, open the format dropdown list.
4. Select the format you want, such as Number, Currency, Percentage, or Short Date.
5. Check the cell display to confirm that the format has been applied.

Success Criteria

• Interface result: The selected cells display values in the chosen format.
• What you can do next: You can continue editing, copying, or applying the same format to other cells.

Tips While Using

• Common mistake: If you do not select the target cells first, the format may not apply to the intended range.
• Environment note: If the cell content is stored as text, some number formats may only change appearance and may not behave as numeric values in calculations.

2. Set a number format from the right-click menu

Entry: Select a cell → right-click → Format Cells

1. Select the cell or cell range that you want to format.
2. Right-click and choose Format Cells.
3. In the dialog box, open the Number tab.
4. Choose a category on the left, such as Number, Currency, Date, Text, or Custom.
5. Adjust the available settings on the right, such as decimal places, currency symbols, or format type.
6. Click OK to apply the setting.

Success Criteria

• Interface result: The selected cells display according to the chosen category and settings.
• What you can do next: You can reopen the dialog box to fine-tune the format later.

Tips While Using

• Common mistake: Formatting only one cell instead of the full target range can leave the sheet with inconsistent display styles.
• Environment note: Different categories provide different settings, so confirm that the selected category matches your intended display result.

3. Open Format Cells with a keyboard shortcut

Entry: Select a cell → Ctrl+1

1. Select the cell or cell range that you want to format.
2. Press Ctrl+1 to open the Format Cells dialog box.
3. In the Number tab, choose the target format category.
4. Adjust decimal places, symbols, or other display settings as needed.
5. Click OK to apply the format.

Success Criteria

• Interface result: The shortcut opens the formatting dialog box directly.
• What you can do next: After confirmation, the selected range updates to the new display format immediately.

Tips While Using

• Common mistake: If another program or input method captures the shortcut, the dialog box may not open.
• Environment note: Use the shortcut while the WPS Spreadsheet editing window is active.

4. Create a custom number format code

Entry: Format Cells → Number tab → Custom

1. Select the cell that you want to format.
2. Open the Format Cells dialog box from the right-click menu or with Ctrl+1.
3. In the Number tab, choose Custom from the category list.
4. Enter the format code you want in the Type box.
5. You can use examples such as:
   1. Enter 0 to display an integer.
   2. Enter 0.00"unit" to show two decimal places with unit text.
   3. Enter yyyy-mm-dd or another date-style code for date display.
   4. Enter 00000 to keep zeros at the start of IDs.
6. Click OK to apply the custom format.

Success Criteria

• Interface result: The cell displays according to the custom format code you entered.
• What you can do next: You can copy the same formatting to other cells and ranges.

Tips While Using

• Common mistake: If the format code is entered incorrectly, the display result may not match your expectation.
• Environment note: Custom formats mainly change display results and do not directly change the original stored value.