BASE Function in Excel: Number in Any Base

⏱ 1 min readUpdated 28 September 2026

EngineeringLevel: IntermediateAvailable in: Excel 2013+

In this article
  1. Syntax
  2. Examples
  3. Example 1
  4. Example 2
  5. Related functions

BASE converts to any base from 2 to 36 and handles much bigger numbers than DEC2BIN.

Syntax

=BASE(number, radix, [min_length])
Argument What it means
radix 2 to 36.

Examples

Example 1

=BASE(255, 2)

11111111.

Example 2

=BASE(ROW(), 36, 4)

Short 4-character IDs like 00A7.

DECIMAL · DEC2BIN

📚 Part of the free Excel course: Beginner → Expert · Try it in the Formula Lab or ask the AI Helper.

Keep reading

Excel Functions A–ZLAMBDA Function in Excel: Create Your Own Excel FunctionsExcel Functions A–ZSIGN Function in Excel: Positive, Negative or Zero?Excel Functions A–ZFIXED Function in Excel: Round and Format as Text
✨ Ask AI about this article

Stuck on a step? Ask a question and the AI answers using this article.

Free · AI can be wrong