In a global world, we’re constantly changing units. Whether you think in miles or yards, inches or centimeters, celsius or Fahrenheit, you might need to convert numeric amounts between units. With the CONVERT in Excel function, you don’t have to constantly search for the conversion factors online. In this tutorial, you’ll learn how easy Excel makes this for you.
How to CONVERT in Excel
Let’s walk through a quick example to show the power of CONVERT in Excel. We’ll use a Fahrenheit to celsius temperature conversion as our example.
Let’s start by typing the equals sign, then type in a sample number after the parenthesis. Since we know that 32 degrees F is equal to 0 celsius, I’ll make this the number input for my example. So far, my formula is:
=CONVERT(32,
Now, we have to tell Excel what formats to jump between. Add a comma after your numeric value, then let’s add the second part. I’m starting with a Fahrenheit temperature, so the second part of the formula needs to be “F”. So far, my formula is:
=CONVERT(32,"F",
As you’re typing this formula, you’ll notice that Excel has a pop-up window that shows you the available units of measure. This is helpful if you’re looking for a way to type your desired unit.
Finally, we need to give Excel a cue on the output format. Our final formula is:
=CONVERT(32,"F","C")
Of course, this function also works with cell references. Replace the numeric amount with a cell reference (like A2) to convert a number you’ve typed somewhere in the spreadsheet.
A Complete List of Convert Formats
Excel’s built-in function supports so many formats. For a complete list of the units of measure, jump over to Microsoft’s official documentation. It includes the full list of supported formats that work in the CONVERT function.
Make sure to use two units from the same section! After all, you can’t take pounds to celsius, for example.
COMBINA in Excel