Keeping Leading Zeros in Google Sheets: How to Do it

If you're working with data in Google Sheets that includes leading zeros, you may have noticed that the zeros can sometimes disappear when the data is exported or imported. This can be a frustrating problem, but there is a way to keep the leading zeros in place.

The key to keeping leading zeros in Google Sheets is to format the cells that contain the data as text. This can be done by selecting the cells, right-clicking, and choosing "Format Cells." In the Format Cells dialog box, choose "Text" from the Number tab and then click "OK."

Once you have formatted the cells as text, the leading zeros will be preserved, even when the data is exported or imported. It's important to note that formatting the cells as text will prevent Google Sheets from performing calculations on the data, so it's best to use this method only when necessary.