# Quick Excel help needed. **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [May 15, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535 "2010-05-15T13:04:57Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![racer72](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/racer72/32/3075_2.png) [@racer72](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/racer72)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 1:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/1 "2010-05-15T13:04:57Z")
I am trying to copy and paste eBay auction numbers into Excel, it’s the 2003 version if that is needed. Excel insists on pasting the numbers as 3.43734E11 instead of the 12 numbers from the auction listing. How can it get Excel to paste all 12 numbers? ---
**Author:** ![Dervorin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/eb8c5e/32.png) [@Dervorin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dervorin)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 1:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/2 "2010-05-15T13:33:10Z")
Try expanding the column first to see if you can see the whole number - Excel truncates numbers that are too long to fit in the default cell width. If that doesn’t work, format the cell as Text and then paste the numbers in. Select the required cells, right-click, select Format Cells and then under the Number tab (the first one) select Text. After that, you should be able to paste the numbers in and have them appear unformatted. ---
**Author:** ![CookingWithGas](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cookingwithgas/32/485_2.png) [@CookingWithGas](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CookingWithGas)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 2:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/3 "2010-05-15T14:38:48Z")
The above is the best advice. For an alternative, just FYI, first type a single-quote into the cell, then paste the number after that. It will then be interpreted as text without having to format the cell. ---
**Author:** ![Gary\_Robson](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/gary_robson/32/3448_2.png) [@Gary\_Robson](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gary_Robson)\ **Post date:** [May 15, 2010, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/4 "2010-05-15T20:18:50Z")
Another option (I use this one when I’m putting in fixed-length number fields like ISBNs that might begin with a zero) is to set the cell style to “custom” and put in 000000000000 as the format. That will guarantee you 12 digits. ---
**Author:** ![interface2x](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/c0e974/32.png) [@interface2x](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/interface2x)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 12:09am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/5 "2010-05-16T00:09:22Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The above is the best advice. For an alternative, just FYI, first type a single-quote into the cell, then paste the number after that. It will then be interpreted as text without having to format the cell. Similarly, paste them in and in the column next to it, put in a text formula - In cell A1 –\> Your ebay auction number In cell B1 –\> =text(A1,0) Copy that formula down and it will show all of your values in full. ---
**Author:** ![Munch](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/munch/32/5281_2.png) [@Munch](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Munch)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 1:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/6 "2010-05-16T01:14:17Z")
> [@CookingWithGas](#): > > The above is the best advice. For an alternative, just FYI, first type a single-quote into the cell, then paste the number after that. It will then be interpreted as text without having to format the cell. Nit: It needs to be an apostrophe, not a quote. ---
**Author:** ![BigT](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bigt/32/12044_2.png) [@BigT](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BigT)\ **Post date:** [May 16, 2010, 2:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/quick-excel-help-needed/539535/7 "2010-05-16T02:12:16Z")
> [@Munch](#): > > Nit: It needs to be an apostrophe, not a quote. That’s probably what was meant by “single-quote”, since " is sometimes called a double quote. But calling it an apostrophe is clearer. Just to go even further, use the following symbol: ’