Escape Unicode in Google Sheets & Excel

What this pulls

Escape or unescape Unicode by the row. Converts characters to \uXXXX sequences and back — Sheets or Excel.

It's one of 250+ live sources you reach with a single =VERVE() function — served from APIVerve's production data engine, billed at 1 credit per resolved cell, and refreshed on whatever cadence you set. No API keys to wrangle, no scripts, no exports.

See it in a cell

A real example — the input you type, and the values you can pull from it. Click any cell to see the formula behind it.

unicodeescape.xlsxsample data

B2fx=VERVE("unicodeescape", A2, "field", "action")

Text

Action

Original

Escaped

Character count

Hello World

escape

Hello World

\u0048\u0065\u006C\u006C\u006F\u0020\u0057…

click any cell to see its formula1 credit / cell

Ways to use it

Convert by the row

Fill =VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "action") beside a column of input and get the converted value back for every row — a batch conversion done in one drag.

No parser, no export

Turn one format into another right in the cell instead of round-tripping through a script or an online tool.

Feed the next step

Pipe the converted value straight into the formula or chart that needs it.

Use it in your sheet

The same function works in both apps — install once, sign in with your key, and type it into any cell.

Google SheetsAdd-on

Install from the Workspace Marketplace, then drop the formula into a cell. Autocomplete suggests the source and its fields.

=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "action")

Microsoft ExcelAdd-in

Same source, same arguments, same key — in Excel on desktop, the web, or mobile. Excel namespaces it as VERVE.CALL. Drag to fill a whole column.

=VERVE.CALL("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "action")

Optional inputs

Tune the result by adding name=value before the field argument — in any order. Leave one out and its default applies.

action
The action to perform
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "action", "escape")

Fields you can pull

Add a field name as the last argument to land just that value in the cell.

Original
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "original")
Escaped
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "escaped")
Character count
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "character_count")
Unicode pointsPremium
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "unicode_points")
Unicode points › Char
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "unicode_points.0.char")
Unicode points › Unicode
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "unicode_points.0.unicode")
Unicode points › Codepoint
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "unicode_points.0.codepoint")
Action
=VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "action")

Premium marks data included on paid plans. On the Free plan a marked field is withheld and a marked input is ignored — either way the cell reads #PREMIUM(name) instead of a value, so a gated answer can never be mistaken for a real one. Everything unmarked works on every plan. Compare plans

Escape Unicode, answered

Everything you need to wire it into a sheet.

How do I pull Escape Unicode into Google Sheets?

Install the VerveSheets add-on, sign in once with your key, and type =VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "field", "original") into any cell. The "field" argument names the value you want back, so the cell resolves to a single number or string you can chart, sort, or feed into another formula.

What data can I pull from Escape Unicode?

Escape Unicode returns original, escaped, character_count, unicode_points.0.char and unicode_points.0.unicode, plus 2 more — name any one of them as the "field" argument and that value lands in the cell. Leave the field out and the whole record spills into a two-column table instead.

Can I narrow what Escape Unicode returns?

Yes — Escape Unicode takes "action" as optional inputs. They go in as "name", value pairs after the required ones, in any order, so =VERVE("unicodeescape", "Hello World", "action", "escape") shapes the result without changing anything else.

Which Escape Unicode fields need a paid plan?

unicode_points is included from the Starter plan up. On the Free plan the cell returns #PREMIUM(field) rather than a wrong or empty value, so it's always obvious which one to upgrade for. Every other field works on Free.

Can I fill a whole column of Escape Unicode at once?

Yes. Put your text values down a column and point the formula at the range — A2:A50 instead of A2 — and one call returns a value for every row. Dragging the formula down works too, but the range form is a single billed call per column rather than one per cell.

How many credits does each Escape Unicode cell cost?

Each resolved cell costs 1 credit. A cell only re-bills when it actually refreshes, so a sheet you aren't touching doesn't keep charging.

Does Escape Unicode work in Excel as well as Google Sheets?

Yes — same arguments, same key, same fields. Excel namespaces custom functions, so the call is =VERVE.CALL() there and =VERVE() in Google Sheets; nothing else about it changes.

Escape Unicode

Convert by the row

No parser, no export

Feed the next step

Escape Unicode, answered

Put Escape Unicode in your next spreadsheet. Add the extension, paste the formula, and the cell keeps itself current.

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