A hard cost reads as a dollar figure, a plot ratio reads as a plain number, an efficiency reads as a percentage, and a handover date reads as a date, not as the serial number underneath it. Spreadsheet shows each cell as the kind of number it actually is.
The format types
Select a cell or range and choose a format from the toolbar's number format dropdown, or right-click and choose Number format.
General: shows a number plain, e.g.
1234.5. The default for a new cell.Number, Number (1dp), Number (2dp): a plain number with thousands separators, to 0, 1 or 2 decimal places.
Currency, Currency (2dp): a dollar figure, to 0 or 2 decimal places.
Percent, Percent (1dp): a value shown as a percentage, to 0 or 1 decimal places.
0.12shows as12%.Date, Date (long), Month: a date shown as
01/03/2026,1 Mar 2026, orMar 2026.Text: shows a number's digits as plain text, with no rounding or thousands separator applied.
Typing a value sets its format
Typing 15% into a cell sets it to Percent as plainly as choosing Percent from the dropdown would. Typing a recognisable date does the same for Date. The cell's underlying value and its format are set together, in one step.
Typing a new value into a cell that already has a format keeps that format's family and only changes the number. A cell already showing 12.5% that you type 85% into stays a percentage shown to one decimal place, reading 85.0%, rather than resetting to the plainer Percent format.
Continuing a series with drag-fill
Drag the corner handle of a selection to continue whatever pattern it holds, rather than repeating it. Three kinds of value continue as a series, whatever format the cells are wearing:
Numbers, in any format:
1, 2, 3continues as4, 5, 6, and2, 4, 6continues as8, 10, 12, the same step carried forward whether the cells are formatted as General, Number, Currency or Percent. A single number does not start counting on its own. Dragging one cell repeats it, and it takes two or more to establish a step.Text ending in a number:
Unit 001, Unit 002continues asUnit 003, keeping the leading zeros and whatever text sits before or after the number. Text with no trailing number, such as a usage name, just repeats.Dates: see below.
Hold Ctrl/Cmd while releasing the drag to repeat the source instead of continuing it, whichever kind of value it holds.
Dates
A typed date becomes a real date, not text: a serial number wearing the Date format. That is what lets YEAR, EOMONTH and XNPV read it directly, and what lets a column of dates continue with the fill handle like any other series.
A date series steps by whichever gap the source actually shows. Consecutive days continue by day. The last day of consecutive months continues by month rather than by a fixed number of days, so 31 Jan, 28 Feb continues as 31 Mar, not a date 31 days later.
You can also build a formula by pointing at cells, including a monthly cashflow from a date column like this one, or turn a range into a chart.