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How to Get Rid of E+ in CSV: Remove Scientific Notation Guide

Learn how to remove scientific notation (E+) from CSV files. Discover methods to display large numbers in normal format instead of exponential notation in Excel and other tools.

RowTidy Team
Nov 25, 2025
10 min read
CSV, Scientific Notation, Number Formatting, Excel, Data Display

How to Get Rid of E+ in CSV: Remove Scientific Notation Guide

If your CSV files show numbers in scientific notation (like 1.23E+10), you need methods to display them in normal format. 67% of users find scientific notation confusing and prefer standard number display.

By the end of this guide, you'll know how to get rid of E+ notation in CSV files—converting scientific notation to normal numbers in Excel and other applications.

Quick Summary

  • Format as number - Apply number format to prevent scientific notation
  • Import as text - Import large numbers as text to preserve format
  • Adjust column width - Ensure columns are wide enough to display full numbers
  • Use proper data types - Set correct data types during import

Common Scientific Notation Problems

  1. Large numbers show as E+ - 1234567890 displays as 1.23E+09
  2. IDs lose precision - Product IDs like 1234567890123456 show as 1.23E+15
  3. Phone numbers affected - Phone numbers display in scientific notation
  4. Credit card numbers - Card numbers show as E+ notation
  5. Account numbers - Account IDs lose formatting
  6. Barcode numbers - Barcodes display incorrectly
  7. Reference numbers - Reference codes show as E+
  8. Serial numbers - Serial numbers lose precision
  9. Long numeric codes - Any long number converts to scientific notation
  10. Data loss - Precision lost when converting back from E+ format

Why Scientific Notation Appears

Excel's Default Behavior

Excel automatically converts:

  • Numbers with 12+ digits → Scientific notation
  • Very large numbers → E+ format
  • Very small numbers → E- format

Reason: Excel tries to fit numbers in cells, uses scientific notation for space efficiency.

When It Happens

Common scenarios:

  • Opening CSV by double-clicking
  • Importing without proper settings
  • Numbers with many digits
  • Very large or very small values
  • Excel's default number format

Step-by-Step: Remove Scientific Notation

Step 1: Import CSV with Text Format

Import large number columns as text to prevent scientific notation.

Use Excel Import Wizard

Method: Import as Text

  1. Open Excel
  2. Data > From Text/CSV
  3. Select CSV file
  4. Import Wizard opens

Set Data Types:

  1. Click column header with large numbers
  2. Choose Text from dropdown
  3. Large numbers import as text
  4. No scientific notation
  5. Click Load

Why Text?

  • Preserves exact number
  • No conversion to scientific notation
  • Maintains precision
  • Displays as entered

Step 2: Format Cells as Number

Apply number format to cells showing scientific notation.

Format Existing Cells

Method 1: Format Cells Dialog

  1. Select cells with E+ notation
  2. Right-click > Format Cells
  3. Choose Number category
  4. Set decimal places (0 for integers)
  5. Uncheck Use 1000 Separator (if not needed)
  6. Click OK
  7. Numbers display normally

Method 2: Home Tab

  1. Select cells
  2. Home > Number group
  3. Click Number Format dropdown
  4. Choose Number
  5. Format applied

Note: If number already converted to scientific notation, may need to re-import as text.

Step 3: Adjust Column Width

Ensure columns are wide enough to display full numbers.

AutoFit Column Width

Quick method:

  1. Select column with numbers
  2. Double-click column border
  3. Column auto-fits to content
  4. Full numbers visible

Or use ribbon:

  1. Select column
  2. Home > Format > AutoFit Column Width
  3. Column adjusts

Set Specific Width

Manual width:

  1. Select column
  2. Right-click > Column Width
  3. Enter width (e.g., 20 for long numbers)
  4. Click OK
  5. Full numbers display

Step 4: Convert Text to Number (If Needed)

Convert text numbers to numeric format while preserving value.

Convert Safely

Method: Text to Columns

  1. Select text number column
  2. Data > Text to Columns
  3. Choose General or Number
  4. Click Finish
  5. Numbers converted
  6. Format as Number (not General)
  7. Scientific notation prevented

Method: Formula

=VALUE(A2)

Copy formula, paste as values, format as Number.

Step 5: Prevent During Import

Set up import to prevent scientific notation from start.

Import Settings

Best practice:

  1. Always use Import Wizard
  2. Set large number columns to Text
  3. After import, format as needed
  4. Prevents scientific notation

For IDs and codes:

  • Always import as Text
  • Never as Number or General
  • Preserves exact value
  • No scientific notation

Step 6: Fix Already Converted Numbers

Recover numbers that already show as scientific notation.

Re-import as Text

Best method:

  1. Close current file
  2. Re-import CSV using Import Wizard
  3. Set column to Text type
  4. Numbers import correctly
  5. No scientific notation

Manual Entry (Small datasets)

If re-import not possible:

  1. Scientific notation shows precision
  2. Can manually enter correct number
  3. Format as Number
  4. Only feasible for small datasets

Step 7: Format for Different Number Types

Apply appropriate format based on number type.

Format IDs and Codes

As Text:

  1. Import as Text (best)
  2. Or format cells as Text
  3. Preserves leading zeros
  4. No scientific notation
  5. Exact value maintained

Format Large Numbers

As Number with formatting:

  1. Format as Number
  2. Set decimal places (0 for integers)
  3. Wide column width
  4. Displays normally

Format Currency

As Currency:

  1. Format as Currency
  2. Large amounts display normally
  3. Currency symbol included
  4. No scientific notation

Step 8: Save CSV Properly

Save file to preserve formatting.

Save Settings

When saving CSV:

  1. File > Save As
  2. Choose CSV format
  3. Excel may warn about formatting
  4. Click OK
  5. Formatting may be lost in CSV

Note: CSV is plain text, doesn't preserve Excel formatting. Import settings matter more than save settings.

Real Example: Removing Scientific Notation

Before (Scientific Notation):

CSV opened by double-clicking:

Product_ID,Price
1.23E+15,999.99
1.23E+15,299.99

Issues:

  • Product IDs show as 1.23E+15
  • Actual IDs: 1234567890123456
  • Precision lost
  • Hard to read

After (Normal Format):

CSV imported correctly:

  1. Used Import Wizard
  2. Set Product_ID column to Text
  3. Formatted Price as Number
  4. Adjusted column widths

Result:

Product_ID,Price
1234567890123456,999.99
1234567890123456,299.99

Improvements:

  • IDs display fully
  • No scientific notation
  • Precision maintained
  • Easy to read

Removal Checklist

Use this checklist to remove scientific notation:

  • Used Import Wizard (not double-click)
  • Set large number columns to Text type
  • Formatted cells as Number (if numeric)
  • Adjusted column widths
  • Verified numbers display correctly
  • Checked precision maintained
  • Saved file appropriately
  • Tested import in other applications

Mini Automation Using RowTidy

You can prevent scientific notation automatically using RowTidy's intelligent data handling.

The Problem:
Scientific notation appears when:

  • CSV opened incorrectly
  • Large numbers not handled properly
  • Import settings not configured
  • Formatting lost

The Solution:
RowTidy handles large numbers correctly:

  1. Upload CSV file - Drag and drop
  2. AI detects number types - Identifies IDs, codes, numbers
  3. Preserves formats - Maintains exact values
  4. Downloads clean CSV - Get file with proper formatting

RowTidy Features:

  • Smart number handling - Detects IDs vs numbers
  • Format preservation - Maintains exact values
  • No scientific notation - Numbers display normally
  • Proper data types - Text for IDs, Number for values
  • Import-ready files - CSV files that import correctly

Time saved: 30 minutes fixing notation → 2 minutes automated

Clean your CSV files with RowTidy to prevent scientific notation issues. Try RowTidy's CSV cleaning →

FAQ

1. How do I get rid of E+ in CSV files?

Use Import Wizard, set large number columns to Text type, format as Number if needed, adjust column widths. Don't double-click CSV files.

2. Why do my numbers show as scientific notation?

Excel converts numbers with 12+ digits to scientific notation by default. Use Import Wizard with Text type for large numbers to prevent this.

3. How do I prevent scientific notation when importing CSV?

Use Import Wizard (Data > From Text/CSV), set columns with large numbers to Text type, then format as needed after import.

4. Can I convert scientific notation back to normal numbers?

If already converted, re-import CSV with Text type. Scientific notation loses precision, so original value may not be recoverable if precision was lost.

5. Should I import IDs as text or number?

Always import IDs, codes, and reference numbers as Text. Prevents scientific notation and preserves exact values including leading zeros.

6. How do I format cells to prevent E+ notation?

Format cells as Number (not General), set appropriate decimal places, ensure column width is sufficient. But best to import as Text first.

7. Does column width affect scientific notation?

Yes. If column too narrow, Excel may show scientific notation even if formatted correctly. AutoFit or set wider width.

8. Can RowTidy prevent scientific notation?

Yes. RowTidy detects number types, preserves formats, and ensures CSV files import without scientific notation issues.

9. What's the difference between Text and Number format?

Text preserves exact value (no conversion). Number allows calculations but may convert to scientific notation for large values. Use Text for IDs.

10. How do I handle phone numbers in CSV?

Import phone number columns as Text. Phone numbers are identifiers, not numeric values, and should never show scientific notation.

Related Guides

Conclusion

Removing scientific notation (E+) from CSV files requires using Import Wizard with Text type for large numbers, formatting cells appropriately, and ensuring column widths are sufficient. Import IDs and codes as Text to preserve exact values. Use tools like RowTidy to handle numbers correctly and prevent scientific notation issues.

Try RowTidy — automatically handle large numbers correctly and prevent scientific notation in CSV files.