How to use CHAR Google Sheets formula?

The syntax for the CHAR formula is =CHAR(table_number), it has 1 required parameter.

Why is CHAR Google Sheets formula not working?

One common reason the CHAR formula may not be working is due to using a number outside the valid range. The number provided to <code>CHAR</code> must be between 1 and 255, inclusive. If a number outside this range is used, an error will be returned.

CHAR

The CHAR formula returns the character corresponding to the ASCII code provided. This formula is commonly used to convert a numerical value to its corresponding character in a Google Sheets cell.

How to use CHAR formula?
Examples of using CHAR formula
CHAR formula not working?
Similar formulas to CHAR

Usage

Use the CHAR formula with the syntax shown below, it has 1 required parameter:

=CHAR(table_number)

Parameters:

table_number (required):
The ASCII code number of the character to be returned. Must be a number between 0 and 255.

Examples

Here are a few example use cases that explain how to use the CHAR formula in Google Sheets.

Convert numerical values to characters

The CHAR formula can be used to convert numerical values to their corresponding characters. For example, the formula =CHAR(65) returns the letter 'A'.

Insert special characters

The CHAR formula can be used to insert special characters into a Google Sheets cell. For example, the formula =CHAR(10) inserts a line break into the cell.

Create custom codes

The CHAR formula can be used to create custom codes for data entry in a Google Sheets cell. For example, the formula =CHAR(10001) could be used to represent a specific product code.

Common Mistakes

CHAR not working? Here are some common mistakes people make when using the CHAR Google Sheets Formula:

Using a number outside the valid range

The number provided to CHAR must be between 1 and 255, inclusive. If a number outside this range is used, an error will be returned.

Forgetting to enclose the number in parentheses

The number that corresponds to the character you want to return must be enclosed in parentheses. If it is not, an error will be returned.

The following functions are similar to CHAR or are often used with it in a formula:

CODE
The CODE formula returns the numeric Unicode value of the first character in a text string. This can be useful when working with non-English characters or when attempting to identify certain characters in a text string.
UNICHAR
The UNICHAR function returns the Unicode character represented by the given numeric value. This is useful when working with non-Latin characters or symbols that cannot be easily typed on a keyboard. The function takes a single parameter, a number representing the Unicode value of the character to be returned.
ASC
The ASC function returns the numeric code of the first character of a text string. This function is commonly used to sort a list of text strings in alphabetical order based on the numeric code of their first character.
CONCATENATE
The CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets is used to combine text strings from different cells or inputted directly in the formula. It takes one or more text strings as input and returns a single concatenated string. This function is commonly used to combine first and last names, or to merge data from multiple cells into a single cell.
SUBSTITUTE
The SUBSTITUTE formula is used to replace specific text in a string with new text. It is commonly used to replace all occurrences of a certain word or character within a larger string. The formula has the option to specify which occurrence to replace, or it will replace all occurrences by default.

Learn More

You can learn more about the CHAR Google Sheets function on Google Support.