Formatting Issues

 
Website: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/convert-numbers-stored-as-text-to-numbers-40105f2a-fe79-4477-a171-c5bad0f0a885

Convert to Numbers

Numbers that are stored as text can cause unexpected results, like an uncalculated formula showing instead of a result. This is important especially when I use a vlookup or xlookup to find a certain invoice number and produce a certain result, but the formula does not work because the invoice number on the generated report is stored as a text.

Website: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/format-a-date-the-way-you-want-8e10019e-d5d8-47a1-ba95-db95123d273e#:~:text=But%20you%20can%20change%20the,2013%2C%20pick%20Long%20Date%20instead.

Format a date that you want

I usually use the short date option

Website: https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/use-the-format-painter-4bb415a9-d4e4-42b7-b579-170adc594e40#:~:text=Use%20Format%20Painter%20to%20quickly,copying%20and%20pasting%20for%20formatting.

Format Painter

Use Format Painter to quickly apply the same formatting, such as color, font style and size, or border style, to multiple pieces of text or graphics. With format painter, you can copy all of the formatting from one object and apply it to another one—think of it as copying and pasting for formatting.

See below example of data being stored as general vs text vs number