Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated September 20, 2021)
This tip applies to Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003
The ampersand character (&) is commonly used in company names (such as Burns & Foster, Inc.) or in standard business phrases (such as Mergers & Acquisitions). If you are creating a report in Excel, you may notice that the ampersand characters don't show up properly if you add them to headers or footers for your worksheet.
The reason ampersands don't show up is because the character is used as a "marker" that indicates a special formatting code is to follow. If you want to actually use an ampersand, then you need to double it—use two ampersands, such as "Burns && Foster, Inc." Even though you enter two ampersands in the header or footer, Excel only displays one ampersand in the resulting header or footer.
ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (2988) applies to Microsoft Excel 97, 2000, 2002, and 2003. You can find a version of this tip for the ribbon interface of Excel (Excel 2007 and later) here: Adding Ampersands in Headers and Footers.
Excel Smarts for Beginners! Featuring the friendly and trusted For Dummies style, this popular guide shows beginners how to get up and running with Excel while also helping more experienced users get comfortable with the newest features. Check out Excel 2019 For Dummies today!
Today's date is easy to add to a header, but what if you want to add a date that is adjusted in some manner? Adding ...
Discover MoreWhen adding headers or footers to your worksheets, you may want to include the date that the workbook was last edited. ...
Discover MoreAdd an ampersand to the text in a header or footer and you may be surprised that the ampersand disappears on your ...
Discover MoreFREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
2022-01-30 21:18:29
Satheesh
Thanks.
2017-06-16 08:50:53
Dennis
How very strange however thank you
Got a version of Excel that uses the menu interface (Excel 97, Excel 2000, Excel 2002, or Excel 2003)? This site is for you! If you use a later version of Excel, visit our ExcelTips site focusing on the ribbon interface.
FREE SERVICE: Get tips like this every week in ExcelTips, a free productivity newsletter. Enter your address and click "Subscribe."
Copyright © 2025 Sharon Parq Associates, Inc.
Comments