=CONVERT(value, start_unit, end_unit)One free generation or explanation per browser, shared across Excel and Google Sheets. Account usage limits apply afterward.
| Parameter | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|
| value | Yes | The number to convert, expressed in start_unit. |
| start_unit | Yes | The unit the value is currently in, written as a text code such as "mi", "kg", or "C". Type unit codes exactly as Google lists them. |
| end_unit | Yes | The unit to convert to. Must be in the same category as start_unit (for example, both lengths). |
CONVERT changes a measurement from one unit to another without you having to look up conversion factors. Miles to kilometres, pounds to kilograms, Celsius to Fahrenheit, gallons to litres, hours to minutes: as long as both units belong to the same category, CONVERT handles the arithmetic.
You give CONVERT a number, the unit it is in, and the unit you want. Units are passed as short text codes in quotes. Google Sheets checks that the two codes measure the same kind of quantity, applies the conversion, and returns a number. If the categories do not match (for example, kilograms to metres), there is no sensible answer and the function returns an error.
=CONVERT(1, "mi", "km")Returns 1.609344.
=CONVERT(100, "C", "F")Returns 212. Temperature conversions handle the offset as well as the scale, so this is not just a multiplication.
=CONVERT(B2, "lbm", "kg")Converts a weight in pounds (mass) in B2 to kilograms. One pound is 0.45359237 kg.
=CONVERT(2.5, "hr", "mn")Returns 150.
=CONVERT(10, "gal", "l")Converts 10 US gallons to roughly 37.85 litres.
| Category | Examples |
|---|---|
| Length | "m", "km", "cm", "mm", "in", "ft", "yd", "mi" |
| Weight / mass | "g", "kg", "lbm", "ozm" |
| Temperature | "C", "F", "K" |
| Volume | "l", "ml", "gal", "qt", "pt", "cup", "tsp", "tbs" |
| Time | "sec", "mn", "hr", "day", "yr" |
| Speed | "m/s", "m/hr" (metres per hour), "mph", "kn" (knots), "admkn" (admiralty knots) |
| Energy | "J", "cal", "BTU" |
Many metric units also accept a prefix in front of the base code. For example, "k" (kilo) in front of "m" gives kilometres, and "m" in front of "g" gives milligrams ("mg").
CONVERT works with ARRAYFORMULA, so a single formula can convert an entire column:
=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(B2:B="", "", CONVERT(B2:B, "mi", "km")))=CONVERT(5, "kg", "m") fails because mass and length cannot be converted into each other."km" and "kg"."lbm" and "ozm" for weight. Plain "lb" is not the code for a pound of mass.km) and reference them, so changing the target unit updates every formula.A logistics coordinator receives route distances in miles from a US partner but reports in kilometres. Using =ROUND(CONVERT(B2, "mi", "km"), 1) in column C, every route length is converted and rounded to one decimal place.
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