Why shouldn't you type 250 kg in a cell?

Excel stores it as text and cannot calculate with it

Data Entry

By the Syncfusion DevTutorials team · Last updated October 20, 2026

Enter text, numbers, and dates so Excel reads them correctly, edit and clear cells, and move around the sheet with the keyboard.

A spreadsheet is only as accurate as the data entered into it. If Excel interprets a number as text, or a date as a regular word, calculations, sorting, and charts may not work correctly. In this lesson, you'll learn how to enter text, numbers, and dates correctly, edit and remove data, and move around a worksheet efficiently using the keyboard.

Open the Excel sandbox and follow along.

Text Data

Text includes anything that Excel does not use in calculations, such as names, labels, headings, codes, and notes.

Click a cell, type your text, and press Enter to move down or Tab to move right.
Text is usually aligned to the left side of the cell.
If text is longer than the cell width, it extends into nearby empty cells. If the next cell contains data, the text appears cut off, but the full content remains stored in the cell. You can view it in the formula bar.

Phone numbers, identification numbers, and postal codes that begin with 0, such as 0712345678, may lose the leading zero if Excel treats them as numbers. To keep the leading zero, type an apostrophe before the value, like '0712345678. The apostrophe is not displayed in the cell.

Number Data

Numbers are values that Excel can calculate with, such as prices, quantities, scores, and measurements.

Enter only the number, such as 250, 12.5, or -40.
Numbers are usually aligned to the right side of the cell.
Avoid entering units or words in the same cell. For example, 250 kg is treated as text and cannot be used in calculations. Instead, enter 250 in the cell and place the unit in the column heading, such as Weight (kg).

Check the alignment of the value. If a number appears on the left, Excel has likely stored it as text, which means it will not be included in calculations. Re-enter the value without spaces, letters, or unnecessary symbols.

Date Data

Dates are stored internally as numbers, allowing Excel to perform date calculations and determine the number of days between dates.

Enter dates in a format Excel recognizes, such as 3/15/2026 or 15-Mar-2026.
The order of the day and month depends on your computer's regional settings.
A recognized date is aligned to the right, similar to a number.
If a date appears on the left, Excel has treated it as text. Try entering the date in a different format.
Press Ctrl + ; to insert today's date.

Edit Cell Contents

You can modify existing cell contents in several ways:

Replace the entire value: Select the cell and start typing. After pressing Enter, the new value replaces the old one.
Edit part of the value: Double-click the cell or press F2 to edit directly within the cell. You can also edit the content in the formula bar. Use the arrow keys to move the cursor within the text.
Cancel an edit: Press Esc before pressing Enter.

Delete Data

To remove data from cells:

Select the cell or range.
Press Delete.

The cell contents, including values and formulas, are removed. However, any existing formatting, such as font styles, colors, or number formats, remains.

Clear Data

The Clear command provides additional options for removing data and formatting.

On the Home tab, select Clear and choose one of the following options:

Option	What It Removes
Clear All	Contents and formatting
Clear Formats	Formatting only
Clear Contents	Contents only, similar to pressing Delete
Clear Hyperlinks	Hyperlinks only

Delete removes the data stored in a cell. Clear All removes both the data and the formatting. If formatting remains after deleting the contents, use Clear All to completely reset the cell.

Cell Navigation

You can move around a worksheet using the mouse:

Click any cell to select it.
Use the mouse wheel or scroll bars to move through the worksheet.
To jump directly to a specific cell, type its address into the Name Box and press Enter.

Keyboard Navigation

Using keyboard shortcuts makes navigation faster and more efficient.

Key	Result
Arrow Keys	Move one cell up, down, left, or right
Enter / Shift + Enter	Move down or up one cell after data entry
Tab / Shift + Tab	Move right or left one cell
Home	Move to column A of the current row
Ctrl + Home	Move to cell A1
Ctrl + End	Move to the last used cell in the worksheet
Ctrl + Arrow Key	Move to the edge of the current data region
Page Up / Page Down	Move up or down one screen

Common mistakes

Mistake	Result	Solution
Typing `250 kg`	Excel treats it as text and excludes it from calculations	Enter `250` and place `(kg)` in the heading
Entering a space before a number	Excel stores the value as text	Remove the space and re-enter the number
Using an unrecognized date format	Excel stores the date as text	Re-enter the date in a recognized format such as `3/15/2026`
Losing the leading zero in a phone number	`0712...` becomes `712...`	Type an apostrophe before the number, such as `'0712...`
Using Delete and expecting formatting to be removed	Formatting remains in the cell	Use Clear All instead

Exercise

Click Reset in the sandbox header to start with an empty worksheet. Complete the following tasks and then click Check.

What to Remember

Text is aligned to the left, while numbers and dates are aligned to the right.
Enter one value per cell, and place units in headings instead of cells.
Use a recognized date format, such as 3/15/2026, when entering dates.
Press F2 or use the formula bar to edit cell contents. Press Esc to cancel an edit.
Delete removes cell contents, while Clear All removes both contents and formatting.
Use Ctrl + Home to move to cell A1, Ctrl + End to move to the last used cell, and Ctrl + Arrow Key to move to the edge of a data range.

In the next lesson, you'll learn how to copy, cut, paste, and move data within a worksheet.