Enter =UPPER(A2) in B2, then fill down for the other source rows. Check the results before copying the helper cells and using Paste Values over the originals. UPPER makes all letters uppercase; PROPER capitalizes word starts and lowercases the other letters.
On this page8
Paste the three sample inputs below into A1 of a spare worksheet, including the header. Leave column B empty for the helper results.
Enter =UPPER(A2) in B2 and press Enter. Fill B2 down through B4; B3 should refer to A3 and B4 to A4.
Compare B2:B4 with the expected results: AB-001, JANE O'BRIEN and Q4 WEST. The original A2:A4 values remain in place.
If you need fixed replacements, copy B2:B4, select A2 and choose Paste Values. Use Values from the Windows Paste menu, or Paste Values on Mac and Excel for the web. Do not use an ordinary paste of the formulas.
Check A2:A4 and its formula bar before deleting B. The cells should contain the uppercase text as values, with no =UPPER formula remaining in A.
Turn three source values into ALL CAPS
Paste the inputs into A1 of a spare sheet. Enter =UPPER(A2) in B2 and fill through B4. Compare each result with the table before using Paste Values to replace A2:A4.
A1Uppercase formula for B2
=UPPER(A2)| A: Original text | B: =UPPER(A2) filled down |
|---|---|
| ab-001 | AB-001 |
| Jane O'Brien | JANE O'BRIEN |
| Q4 west | Q4 WEST |
If columns are cut off, scroll the table sideways.
- B2 is AB-001, B3 is JANE O'BRIEN and B4 is Q4 WEST. The digits and punctuation in the sample remain unchanged.
- After filling down, B3 refers to A3 and B4 to A4. Do not leave all three formulas pointing at A2.
- The source A2:A4 stays unchanged until you deliberately paste the checked results over it.
- Use Values or Paste Values for replacements, then check the result and formula bar before deleting B.
- This walkthrough provides copyable data and expected results. It does not run formulas in your workbook.
Documentation reviewed .
Microsoft: UPPERMicrosoft: Change the case of textMicrosoft: PROPERMicrosoft: Paste options for Windows and the webMicrosoft: Paste Values on MacMicrosoft: UPPER in Excel for the web
Excel for Windows: Copy B2:B4, select A2, then choose Values from the Paste menu. Check A2:A4 before deleting the helper column.Excel for Mac: Copy B2:B4, select A2, then choose Paste Values. Check A2:A4 before deleting the helper column.
UPPER changes every letter; PROPER has a different purpose
UPPER turns ab-001 into AB-001 and Jane O'Brien into JANE O'BRIEN. In this example the digits, hyphen, apostrophe and spaces stay in place. PROPER instead uppercases letters after non-letters and lowercases the rest, so =PROPER("Q4 west") returns Q4 West. Use PROPER when that word casing is the intended result, not when you need ALL CAPS. UPPER does not remove extra spaces or turn the result into a font-formatting rule.
Check three rows before replacing the source
Paste the sample into A1, then enter =UPPER(A2) in B2 and fill through B4. The table below shows each input beside its expected result. Keep column A while checking the helper results. Copy only B2:B4 if you want to replace A2:A4; the header is not part of the replacement. Paste Values stores the calculated text. Pasting formulas over their own source cells can break the references.
Windows, Mac and Excel for the web
Microsoft documents UPPER for Windows and Mac desktop Excel and explicitly demonstrates UPPER in Excel for the web. Use a helper column and check the relative references when filling down. For a fixed replacement, Windows calls the paste option Values; the Mac and web documentation calls it Paste Values. These options paste the calculated result rather than the formula. This example uses formula entry and menu choices, not a Word-style change-case shortcut.
Common mistakes
- Using PROPER when every letter must be uppercase:
Q4West is notQ4WEST. - Entering the helper formula in
A2and replacing the source it needs to read. - Pasting the helper formulas over their referenced source cells instead of choosing Paste Values.
- Deleting column B before checking the pasted values in
A2:A4. - Expecting UPPER to remove unwanted spaces or preserve mixed-case brand names.
Frequently asked questions
How do I make every letter uppercase?
Use =UPPER(A2) in a separate helper cell and fill down. For this sample, enter it in B2 and fill through B4. Check the three expected results before replacing the source values.
Is UPPER the same as PROPER?
No. UPPER makes every letter uppercase. PROPER capitalizes letters after non-letters and lowercases the rest. Q4 west becomes Q4 WEST with UPPER and Q4 West with PROPER.
How do I replace the original text safely?
Keep the original column until you have checked the helper results. Copy B2:B4, select A2 and choose Values or Paste Values. Check A2:A4 before deleting the helper column.
Does UPPER remove extra spaces?
No. This is a case conversion. Treat unwanted spaces as a separate cleaning task and check which spaces should be removed before combining transformations.
Other ways people ask this
People reach this page typing “excel make all caps”, “how to make something all caps in excel” and “excel formula to make all caps”, among other phrasings; whichever wording you used, the fix above is the one you want.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “excel make all caps”, “how to make something all caps in excel”, “excel formula to make all caps” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.