DAX function

FORMAT — DAX function reference

Format a value as text.

Syntax

dax

FORMAT(<value>, <format_string>, [<locale_name>])

dax

FORMAT([Sales], "#,##0.00")

→ "1,234.50"

dax

FORMAT([Total Sales], "$#,##0,,\"M\"")

→ "$1.2M" style abbreviated currency

dax

FORMAT('Date'[Date], "mmm yyyy")

→ "Jul 2026"

FORMAT returns text, which sorts alphabetically. Keep the numeric measure for sorting.
FORMAT always returns text, so a visual sorts formatted values alphabetically ("$1.2M" would sort before "$10M") — keep an unformatted numeric measure for sorting/axis use and reserve FORMAT for display labels like titles or tooltips.
FORMAT is comparatively slow because it evaluates per row/context rather than using the engine’s native formatting — prefer a display format string on the measure itself when you just want number formatting, not a specific text pattern.

From Text