Excel FIND Function
Summary
The Excel FIND function returns the position (as a number) of one text string inside another. When the text is not found, FIND returns a #VALUE error.
Purpose
Get the location of text in a string
Return value
A number representing the location of find_text.
Syntax
=FIND (find_text, within_text, [start_num])
Arguments
- find_text - The text to find.
- within_text - The text to search within.
- start_num - [optional] The starting position in the text to search. Optional, defaults to 1.
Usage notes
- The FIND function will return the location of the first instance of find_text in within_text.
- The location is returned as the number of characters from the start of within_text.
- Start_num is optional and defaults to 1.
- FIND will return #VALUE if find_text is not found in within_text .
- FIND is case-sensitive and does not support wildcards.
- Use the SEARCH function to search without case-sensitivity and/or to use wildcards.
FIND formula examples
To test if a cell (or any text string) contains a number, you can use the FIND function together with the COUNT function. In the generic form of the formula (above), A1 represents the cell you are testing. The numbers...
If you want to get the workbook path (directory) only, you can do so with a formula that uses the LEFT and the FIND function. The result will look something like this:
Drive:\path\to\file\ //Windows
Drive:path:to:...
To extract a word that contains specific text,you can use a formula based on several functions, including TRIM, LEFT, SUBSTITUTE, MID, MAX, and REPT. You can use this formula to extract things like email addresses, or...
To remove a file extension from a file name, you can use a formula based on the LEFT and FIND functions. In the example shown, the formula in C5 is:
=LEFT(B5,FIND(".",B5)-1)
How this formula works
The core...
To count cells that contain either one value or another, you an either use a helper column then tally up the count, or a more complex single cell formula.
Background
When you count cells with "OR" criteria, you need...
To generate basic outline numbering you can use a formula based several Excel functions, including COUNTA, IF, MID, FIND, and LEN. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=COUNTA($B$5:B5)&"."&IF(...
To separate text and numbers, you can use a formula based on the FIND function, the MIN function, and the LEN function with the LEFT or RIGHT function, depending on whether you want to extract the text or the number. In...
To remove text from a cell when the text is at a variable position, you can use a formula based on the REPLACE function, with help from the FIND function.
In the example shown, the formula in C6 is:
=REPLACE(B6,1,...
To find the nth occurrence of a character in a text string, you can use a formula based on the FIND and SUBSTITUTE functions. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=FIND(CHAR(160),SUBSTITUTE(B5,"@",...
If you want to get the workbook name only (i.e. the file name without path or sheet name) you can do so with a rather long formula that uses the MID function along with the FIND function.
How the formula works
The cell...
To highlight cells that contain one of many text strings, you can use a formula based on the functions ISNUMBER and SEARCH, together with the SUMPRODUCT function. In the example shown, the conditional formatting applied...
If you need extract the last name from a full name, you can do so with this rather complex formula that uses several functions. In the generic form of the formula (above), name is a full name, with a space separating...
If want to extract the name part of an email address, you can do so with a formula that uses the LEFT and FIND functions. In the generic form above, email represents the email address you are working with.
In the...
To get the position of the 2nd, 3rd, 4th, etc. instance of a specific character inside a text string, you can use the FIND and SUBSTITUTE functions.
In the example shown, the formula in E4 is:
=FIND("~",...
If you have a list of things (words, substrings, etc) and want to find out which of these things appear in a cell, you can build a simple table and use a formula based on the SEARCH function.
Setup
Suppose you have a...
Related videos
In this video, we look at how to use the FIND and SEARCH function to find the position of a substring in a another string.
In this video, we look at how to combine the FIND function with the LEFT function to extract the first name from a full name using a formula.
Some Excel formulas are complex. But all complex formulas are built from simple steps. In this video, we built a more complex formula step by step.
Related functions
Good links
