To add superscript in desktop Excel, highlight the characters inside a text cell, open Format Cells, and check Superscript on the Font tab. Open the dialog with Ctrl + 1 on Windows or Command + 1 on Mac, then select OK. On web and mobile, you can paste a raised character such as ² into the cell text.
Use character formatting to raise part of a text label, or a custom number format to display a numeric value with a unit such as m². These desktop steps cover Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel 2024, with subscription requirements noted where they apply.
The short version
- Windows: Highlight characters in a text cell, press Ctrl + 1, and check Superscript under Font.
- Mac: Highlight the characters, press Command + 1, and check Superscript under Font.
- Web and mobile: Copy a raised character such as ² and paste it into the cell text.
- Numeric units: Apply a custom number format containing m² to keep the underlying value numeric.
| Method | Use it for | Keep in mind |
|---|---|---|
| Format Cells on Windows | Raise selected characters or entire text cells | Open with Ctrl + 1 |
| Format Cells on Mac | Raise selected characters or entire text cells | Open with Command + 1 |
| Paste Unicode characters | Add raised text on desktop, web, or mobile | Your font must display the characters |
| Insert > Symbol on Windows | Choose a superscript character | Available characters depend on the font |
| Character Viewer on Mac | Find and insert a superscript character | Double-click characters in the expanded viewer |
| Open in Desktop App | Apply desktop formatting to a web workbook | Requires installed, licensed desktop Excel |
| Literal text formulas | Build labels containing characters such as ² | The result is text |
UNICHAR formulas | Generate superscripts from character codes | Use the desktop steps below |
| Custom number formats | Display numeric values with superscript units | Create them in desktop Excel |
| Quick Access Toolbar | Apply superscript repeatedly | The setup below uses Microsoft 365 on Windows |
| Equation templates | Display a separate mathematical expression | Creates an object, not a calculated cell formula |
| Numeric keypad codes | Enter ¹, ², or ³ on Windows | Requires a compatible character set and numeric keypad |
| AutoCorrect | Replace a typed shortcut with a superscript | Replacements are shared with supporting Office apps |
| Format Painter | Copy whole-cell superscript formatting | Copies other cell formatting too |
| Remove superscript | Return formatted text to its normal position | Unicode superscripts must be replaced separately |
| Worksheet protection permissions | Allow formatting on a protected sheet | Unprotecting may require the owner's password |
Add superscript in Excel for Windows
Double-click a text cell and highlight only the characters you want to raise. For example, enter x2, then highlight the 2 inside the cell. To format an entire text cell or range, select the cells before opening the formatting dialog.
Open Home and select the Font Settings dialog box launcher in the Font group. On the Font tab, under Effects, check Superscript, then select OK. The selected characters appear above the surrounding text.
For keyboard access, highlight the characters while editing and press Ctrl + 1 or Ctrl + Shift + F. Check Superscript under Effects, then press Enter. In the English interface, you can also press Alt, H, F, N, and E in sequence, followed by Enter to accept.
Excel assigns Ctrl + Shift + Plus to inserting cells, so use the formatting shortcuts above for superscript. If you also need to format superscript exponents in Word, follow Word's separate steps.
Apply superscript on a Mac
While editing a text cell, highlight the characters you want to raise and press Command + 1. Select Font, check Superscript under Effects, then select OK. Highlight just the exponent to leave the rest of the label at its normal position.
For an entire text cell or range, select the cells before opening the formatting dialog. Use whole-cell formatting when every character should be raised. You cannot apply selected-character formatting inside a live formula result; use a text formula containing superscript characters instead.
Insert superscript characters on web and mobile
Copy the characters you need from this set: ⁰¹²³⁴⁵⁶⁷⁸⁹⁺⁻⁼⁽⁾ⁿ. Edit the destination cell and position the insertion point where the superscript belongs. Paste with Ctrl + V on Windows, Command + V on Mac, or select Paste in the mobile editing menu.
Combining x with ² gives you x² without applying font formatting to an ordinary digit. These are separate Unicode characters, so choose a font that displays them. If pasting fails, follow the steps to fix copying and pasting in Excel, then paste the character again.
In desktop Excel for Windows, position the insertion point inside the cell text and open Insert > Symbol. Select More Symbols if offered, then choose a font containing the desired character. Find the superscript, double-click it, and select Close.
On Mac, position the insertion point inside the cell text, then press Control + Command + Space or open Edit > Emoji & Symbols. Search for the desired superscript character or its Unicode code. Click the character, or double-click it when Character Viewer is expanded.
To apply selected-character formatting from Excel for the web, open the workbook's mode menu, normally labeled Editing, and select Open in Desktop App. You need an installed, licensed copy of desktop Excel. Highlight the characters, open Format Cells > Font, check Superscript, and select OK. Save the workbook when finished.
Include superscript in formula results
Use a literal superscript character inside a text formula when your label needs to update with another cell. Paste the raised character between the quotation marks in this formula to append ² to A1:
=A1&"²"On Microsoft 365 or Excel 2024 desktop for Windows and Mac, UNICHAR can generate the character from its numeric code. Enter this formula to display x²:
="x"&UNICHAR(178)The codes are 8304 for ⁰; 185, 178, and 179 for ¹, ², and ³; and 8308 through 8313 for ⁴ through ⁹. Both approaches return text containing raised characters. They do not apply character-level font formatting to a formula result or calculate a power.
Keep numbers numeric with a superscript unit
Use a custom number format when a value such as 12 should display as 12 m² and remain numeric. On Windows, select the cells, open Home, and select the dialog box launcher in the Number group. Choose Custom, then enter this format in Type:
0" m²"Select OK to apply the display format. On Mac, select the cells and open Home > Number Format > More Number Formats. Under Category, choose Custom, enter the same format in Type, and select OK.
The suffix is fixed text, so it does not square the stored value or convert its units. Excel for the web cannot create custom number formats, so create this format in desktop Excel. For longer labels alongside your values, you can also wrap text inside Excel cells.
Add a superscript toolbar button
In Microsoft 365 Excel for Windows, add the command to the Quick Access Toolbar for repeated use. Open File > Options > Quick Access Toolbar. Set Choose commands from to All Commands, select Superscript, select Add, then select OK.
Highlight the target characters inside a text cell and select the new Superscript button. If the toolbar is hidden, right-click the ribbon and select Show Quick Access Toolbar. If the command is unavailable in your edition, use Format Cells.
Insert a superscript equation
For a mathematical expression that sits separately from the cells, use an equation object in desktop Excel for Windows. On the Insert tab, select Equation, or Symbol > Equation, then select Insert New Equation. On Equation, select Script, choose the superscript template, and fill the base and raised placeholders.
The result is a movable equation object, not a calculated cell formula. Microsoft removed Microsoft Equation 3.0, so older instructions for that editor no longer apply. Use the current Equation > Script workflow.
Fix superscript that will not clear
For superscript applied through font formatting, highlight the formatted characters and reopen Format Cells > Font. Uncheck Superscript, then select OK. To remove all formatting from selected cells, choose Home > Clear > Clear Formats.
A pasted ² stays raised after you clear formatting because it is a separate character. Delete it and enter an ordinary 2 when you want normal text. For a superscript unit added through a custom number format, edit that number format to remove the suffix.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can you enter squared and cubed symbols with Alt codes?
Yes, in Windows desktop Excel with a compatible character set such as Windows-1252, edit the cell, position the insertion point, and hold Alt while typing 0, 1, 7, 8 on the numeric keypad for ², then release Alt. Use 0, 1, 7, 9 for ³ or 0, 1, 8, 5 for ¹. Turn on Num Lock if your keypad requires it; the number row above the letters does not substitute for a numeric keypad.
Can Excel automatically replace a shortcut with a superscript character?
Yes, on Windows desktop, copy ² and open File > Options > Proofing > AutoCorrect Options. On AutoCorrect, check Replace text as you type, paste ² into With, and enter a distinctive shortcut such as sqmark in Replace. Select Add, then OK, and type your shortcut when entering cell text. The replacement list is shared with other supporting Office applications.
Can Format Painter copy superscript to other cells?
Yes, on Windows or Mac desktop, select a text cell whose entire contents have superscript formatting and choose Home > Format Painter. Drag over the destination text cells, then release the mouse button. This copies the source cell's other formatting too, and it does not automatically find and raise matching characters within other labels.
How do you allow superscript formatting on a protected worksheet?
Select Review > Unprotect Sheet and enter the worksheet owner's password if requested, then apply superscript. Before you protect the sheet again, select the text cells users need to edit, open the Format Cells dialog box, select the Protection tab, uncheck the Locked box and select OK, so those cells stay editable when the sheet is protected. Then select Review > Protect Sheet, check Format cells in the permitted-actions list, and complete the protection dialog. Cells that stay locked cannot be edited, so unprotect the sheet whenever you need to raise individual characters in them.