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✍️ Excel text examples

FIND and SEARCH Examples in Excel

Learn practical find and search examples in excel for cleaning text, extracting values and building spreadsheet labels.

Updated 2026-06-125 practical examplesCopy-ready

What it does

FIND and SEARCH return the position of text inside another text value.

Syntax or pattern

=FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num]) / =SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
✅

5 practical examples

1

Find dash position

Locate a dash in a code.

=FIND("-",A2)

Useful before LEFT or MID.

2

Extract text before a dash

Return the text before the first dash.

=LEFT(A2,FIND("-",A2)-1)

A common text-splitting pattern.

3

Case-insensitive search

Check whether text contains a word.

=ISNUMBER(SEARCH("urgent",A2))

SEARCH is not case-sensitive.

4

Case-sensitive find

Find exact-case text.

=ISNUMBER(FIND("ID",A2))

FIND is case-sensitive.

5

Extract text after a symbol

Return text after @.

=MID(A2,FIND("@",A2)+1,LEN(A2))

Useful for email domains.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • Not handling missing delimiters.
  • Forgetting that some text functions return text, not numbers.
  • Using fixed positions when the text layout is not consistent.

Related Excel examples

LEFT, RIGHT and MID Examples in ExcelLEN Examples in ExcelTRIM and CLEAN Examples in Excel📊 All Excel examples

FAQ

Can text formulas work with Excel Tables?

Yes. Table references can make text-cleaning formulas easier to understand.

💡 Useful resources

Here are some ideas for you

Optional resources that may help if you are learning formulas, building reports, or working in spreadsheets often.

  • 📘
    Excel formula books

    Practice formulas with structured examples you can keep beside your desk.

    See ideas
  • ⌨️
    Excel shortcut guides

    Build speed with keyboard shortcuts for selection, formatting and navigation.

    See ideas
  • 🔢
    Numeric keypads

    Helpful if you enter many numbers on a laptop or compact keyboard.

    See ideas
  • 🖥️
    External monitors

    Useful for viewing large worksheets, formulas and reference tables side by side.

    See ideas
  • 📒
    Desk notebooks

    Sketch formula logic, report ideas and table structures before building.

    See ideas
  • 💻
    Laptop stands

    Make long spreadsheet sessions more comfortable and ergonomic.

    See ideas

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