SuperSub Gen

How to Add Superscript and Subscript in Google Sheets

Google Sheets does not ship with a built-in superscript or subscript button, but you can still format chemistry labels, math exponents, and footnotes with dependable workflows. This guide starts with our free SuperSub Gen tool for instant copy/paste and follows with CHAR formulas that stay in sync with sheet data.

You will learn when to lean on the online generator, how to paste results into cells without breaking formatting, and how to build reusable formulas with CHAR for live datasets.

Quick Reference: Google Sheets Superscript & Subscript Options

Use SuperSub Gen (Recommended)

  • Visit supersubgen.com and open the Superscript or Subscript tab.
  • Type or paste your text, then copy perfectly aligned characters with one click.
  • Paste into the Sheets formula bar or cell to keep the Unicode glyphs intact.

Use CHAR Formulas

  • Combine normal text with =CHAR(178) for ² or =CHAR(8322) for ₂.
  • Build formulas like ="E = mc"&CHAR(178) or wrap CHAR inside TEXTJOIN.
  • Best when values change and you need superscripts to update automatically.

Method 1: Generate Superscript & Subscript with SuperSub Gen

SuperSub Gen lives on our homepage and produces Unicode-ready superscript or subscript text in real time. It is the fastest route when you need a handful of labels for chemistry, math, chart titles, or citations and want copy/paste results that just work in Google Sheets.

  1. Visit supersubgen.com and choose the Superscript or Subscript tab.
  2. Enter the base text you want to format. Toggle between superscript and subscript as needed.
  3. Click the copy button to grab the formatted Unicode output.
  4. In Google Sheets, double-click the target cell (or the formula bar) and paste the characters. They stay aligned because they are true Unicode glyphs.

Method 2: Build Dynamic Text with CHAR Formulas

The CHAR function returns the Unicode character that matches a decimal code. In Google Sheets the syntax is CHAR(code_number), where code_number is the decimal (not hexadecimal) value from the Unicode table. Because the function outputs a real character, anything you concatenate with CHAR stays editable and recalculates alongside your data.

Why it works

Google Sheets stores text using Unicode. CHAR simply requests a specific code point and inserts it into the cell. Combine it with &, TEXTJOIN, or ARRAYFORMULA when you need superscript or subscript labels that update automatically.

ResultFormulaWhat it does
E = mc²="E = mc"&CHAR(178)Appends a squared exponent for physics or math formulas.
CO₂=TEXTJOIN("", TRUE, "CO", CHAR(8322))Builds a chemical label that can expand with more text.
H₂O="H"&CHAR(8322)&"O"Creates a water molecule label without leaving Sheets.
x₁, x₂, x₃ …=ARRAYFORMULA(B2:B&CHAR(8321+ROW(B2:B)-ROW(B2)))Turns a list of variables into indexed subscripts automatically.
Text¹=C2&CHAR(185)Adds a superscript footnote marker to existing text.
  1. Switch the target cell to Plain text when you need to preserve leading zeros or exact formatting.
  2. Enter the formula that combines your base text with the correct CHAR code point.
  3. Copy the formula down or wrap it in ARRAYFORMULA to fill entire ranges.
  4. Reference the formatted cell in charts, filters, or dashboards—the superscript and subscript characters stay intact.

Tip: Keep a mini lookup tab with common code numbers (178 for ², 179 for ³, 8321–8330 for subscripts ₁–₀) so teammates can reuse them without searching.

Practical Examples in Google Sheets

Here are ready-to-copy structures for superscript and subscript in Google Sheets dashboards.

Equations & Footnotes

Energy formulaE = mc²
Population growthP₀eᵏᵗ
Footnote markerText¹

Science & Data Labels

Water moleculeH₂O
Carbon dioxideCO₂
Glucose formulaC₆H₁₂O₆

Quick Practice: Build a Label

  1. In cell B2, type ="CO"&CHAR(8322).
  2. Drag the fill handle to copy the subscripted label down your data range.
  3. Reference B2 in chart titles to keep subscripts in sync.

Need Superscript or Subscript Outside Sheets?

Use our generator to copy superscript in sheets-ready text or grab subscript characters for emails, docs, and dashboards.

Paste formatted text straight from the generator—no formulas required—when you need quick superscript Google Sheets labels.

🚀Try the Online Superscript and Subscript Generator

Troubleshooting

Shortcut Isn’t Available

  • Google Sheets does not implement Ctrl/Cmd + . or Ctrl/Cmd + ,. Stick to Unicode characters or CHAR formulas.
  • Disable browser extensions that inject their own shortcuts—they can block copy/paste workflows.

Text Reverts to Normal

  • Ensure the cell is set to Plain text; automatic number formats can drop Unicode superscripts.
  • When using formulas, wrap static superscripts in quotes (e.g., "m"&CHAR(178)) so recalculations keep the characters.
  • If you paste from other editors and lose formatting, use Edit → Paste special → Paste values only to avoid conflicting styles.

Summary

Even without a dedicated menu, you can rely on SuperSub Gen for instant Unicode characters and on CHAR formulas for dynamic, data-driven superscripts and subscripts. Use both approaches together to keep dashboards legible, chemistry data accurate, and chart labels easy to read.

Need more shortcuts? Bookmark our superscript generator and subscript generator to copy characters whenever inspiration strikes.