Syntax or pattern
Check whether text matches a regular expression pattern.
=REGEXMATCH(text, regular_expression)5 practical examples
Check an email pattern
Validate that a cell looks like an email address.
=REGEXMATCH(A2, "^[A-Za-z0-9._%+-]+@[A-Za-z0-9.-]+\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Extract an ID
Pull a structured ID from messy text.
=REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "[A-Z]{3}-[0-9]{4}")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Remove extra punctuation
Clean text before matching or grouping.
=REGEXREPLACE(A2, "[^A-Za-z0-9 ]", "")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Extract numbers
Pull the first number from a text value.
=REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "[0-9]+")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Flag bad SKU formats
Create a validation label for codes.
=IF(REGEXMATCH(A2, "^[A-Z]{2}-[0-9]{5}$"), "OK", "Check")Adjust the ranges, criteria and sheet names to match your workbook.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Using patterns that are too broad and capture the wrong text.
- Forgetting to escape special characters.
- Assuming every row has a match.
FAQ
What is this Google Sheets page for?
This page gives copy-ready examples for regexmatch examples so you can understand the pattern and adapt it to real spreadsheet work.
Can I copy these formulas directly?
Yes. Use the copy buttons, then adjust sheet names, ranges, criteria and column references for your own file.
Why does my formula return an error?
The most common causes are mismatched ranges, missing quotes around text criteria, blank source data, or references that do not match your sheet layout.