# Glide needs better handling of leading zeros / ZIP code pains **URL:** \ **Category:** Report a Bug\ **Created:** [August 6, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661 "2020-08-06T18:02:39Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 7\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Rasha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rasha/32/4585_2.png) [@Rasha](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Rasha)\ **Post date:** [August 6, 2020, 6:02pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/1 "2020-08-06T18:02:39Z")
There are roughly **3443** US zip codes with a leading zero, **230** with two leading zeros. - If a zip code is given `conditional formatting` (five zeros) in GS, the data editor displays 4 digits (shaves the 0) - If the zip code column is formatted as `plain text` _ **before** _ data is entered, the data editor displays all 5 digits. ![Image 2020-08-06 at 10.53.55 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/2X/2/22f66be6a7a9500ac2c898cc59c244dce1441f27.png) ![Image 2020-08-06 at 10.56.16 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/2X/e/e2de861ad99058641ab9b5370d060c335fdfeec0.png) **Using a number entry field** - If no value is in that cell, and a zip code with a leading zero is entered: – Initially you get 5 digits in preview, 4 digits in data editor, 4 digits in Sheets. – On sync, you’ll get 4 digits across the board. **Using a text entry field** Leading zeros **are** preserved across preview, data editor, and GS; but text characters can be inadvertently entered. ![Image 2020-08-06 at 10.59.09 AM](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/2X/2/2ea9d371aca6155fb868543996a17d6a198d1d07.png) This is not a quirk suitable for a template column fix… ---
**Author:** ![Gabriel\_Sobral](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/gabriel_sobral/32/6513_2.png) [@Gabriel\_Sobral](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Gabriel_Sobral)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 2:52am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/2 "2020-08-07T02:52:53Z")
Sure! I think that problem would be solved very easily if field masking were implemented on Glide. This would solve two problems: Validation and input formatting. ---
**Author:** ![Rasha](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/rasha/32/4585_2.png) [@Rasha](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Rasha)\ **Post date:** [August 7, 2020, 4:27am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/3 "2020-08-07T04:27:46Z")
Yup. UI improvements (e.g. status bars, spacers) are nice but **this** seems so essential. ZIP codes come with their own set of issues which I’ve been able to mitigate to a small extent on a small-state level via computed columns. But it’s not scalable for all 41,702 ZIPs without an alternative data source. ---
**Author:** ![Kenzzz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kenzzz/32/91893_2.png) [@Kenzzz](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Kenzzz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 11:55am UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/5 "2025-09-19T11:55:56Z")
5 years and the problem is still there. I need to verify IDs by using filtering and it’s reading “001” as “1”. so frustrating. did you ever find a solution to this? ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 12:26pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/6 "2025-09-19T12:26:02Z")
You could probably use the Custom AI component to create an input that only accepts numbers, but still treats it as text to allow for leading zeros. I’ve created a time duration entry like this that will only allow you to type numbers and only two digits for hours/minutes/seconds. Any other keyboard input is ignored, so you can get pretty granular as far as control. ![1000005869](https://us1.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/uploads/glideapps/original/3X/4/6/46072ca69def37b6d19236bc1f86740556388204.png) ---
**Author:** ![Kenzzz](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/kenzzz/32/91893_2.png) [@Kenzzz](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Kenzzz)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 12:41pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/7 "2025-09-19T12:41:40Z")
thank you for the suggestion Jeff, but I need it to support letters as well. So basically a text column that has data that is purely treated as a string. Whenever I use “is” in filtering conditions, if I type in “1” the output still shows me “001” and vise versa. I want glide to know that they are 2 different records. For example: Show if “Input” is “ID” my input is “1”, yet it still shows me the ID “001” in my sheet. Hope I explained well enough, English isn’t my 1st language. thanks again! ---
**Author:** ![Jeff\_Hager](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex002/user_avatar/community.glideapps.com/jeff_hager/32/43_2.png) [@Jeff\_Hager](https://community.glideapps.com/u/Jeff_Hager)\ **Post date:** [September 19, 2025, 1:11pm UTC](https://community.glideapps.com/t/glide-needs-better-handling-of-leading-zeros-zip-code-pains/13661/8 "2025-09-19T13:11:03Z")
Ok, slightly off topic compared to this thread, but I can reproduce your issue. Your issue isn’t so much about text or numeric entry, but instead it’s about the fact that Glide’s filters ignore leading zero with Text type columns. I suggest using the intercom chat in the lower right of the builder to report your issue to Glide Support.