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Excel Column Letter ↔ Number Converter

Paste column letters or column numbers, one per line, and get the matching number or letters instantly, with a note for every line.

Processed locally in your browser

Options
Letters (A to XFD, any case) become numbers and numbers (1 to 16384) become letters. Each line is detected on its own.0 chars · 0 lines
The result will appear here.

What is Excel Column Letter ↔ Number Converter?

Excel names its columns with letters: A to Z, then AA, AB… up to XFD, the 16,384th and last column of a modern worksheet. Functions such as INDEX, VLOOKUP or OFFSET and most scripting libraries need the column as a number, so you keep converting back and forth.

Each line you type is detected on its own. Letters (any case) become a number, whole numbers from 1 to 16384 become letters, and an optional mode also reads references such as $C$12 and returns the column number together with the row. Lines that are out of range or not a column at all are reported in the table without breaking the other lines.

How does it work?

  1. Type or paste one column per line: letters like AZ or a number like 52.
  2. Read the Result column of the table, or copy the plain result list that follows your line order.
  3. Tick "also accept A1-style references" if some lines are cell references such as B7 and you want the column number and row.
  4. Check the Note column for lines that are out of range: 0, negatives, decimals, letters past XFD or numbers above 16384.

Common use cases

  • Finding the column_index for a VLOOKUP when your table array runs from column B to column AK.
  • Translating a column number returned by a script, an export or a database into the letters used in a workbook.
  • Checking whether a wide dataset fits: 16,384 columns is the hard limit of .xlsx, .xlsm and .xlsb files.
  • Preparing INDEX, OFFSET or R1C1 style references without counting columns by hand.

Examples

Try this input in the tool above:

Input
A
Z
AA
AZ
27
16384
Output
1
26
27
52
AA
XFD

Privacy

Excel Column Letter ↔ Number Converter runs entirely in your browser. The text or files you provide are processed on your device and are not uploaded, logged or stored on our servers.

Limitations

Limits are those of Excel 2007 and later (XFD, 16,384 columns). Old .xls worksheets stop at column IV (256), and Google Sheets uses different limits.

Related guides

  • Compare Excel Files with Reordered Rows

    A useful spreadsheet diff depends on matching the right records. Compare by cell position when row order is stable; choose a key column when records have moved.

Frequently asked questions

What is the last column in Excel?

Column XFD, number 16,384, in .xlsx, .xlsm and .xlsb workbooks. Older .xls files end at column IV, number 256. Anything beyond XFD is reported as out of range by this converter.

How are letters turned into a number?

Column names are a base-26 system with no zero digit: A = 1 … Z = 26, so AA = 1 × 26 + 1 = 27 and AZ = 1 × 26 + 26 = 52. Each letter multiplies the running total by 26 and adds its own value.

Can I do the same conversion with a formula in Excel?

Yes. =COLUMN(INDIRECT("AZ1")) returns 52, and =SUBSTITUTE(ADDRESS(1,52,4),"1","") returns AZ. This tool is faster for a whole list and shows why a value is invalid.

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