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 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 need to extract the first word from some text you can use a formula that uses the FIND and LEFT functions. From the example, the formula looks like this:
=LEFT(B4,FIND(" ",B4)-1)
How this formula...
To check if a cell contains specific text, you can use the SEARCH function together with the ISNUMBER function. In the generic version, substring is the specific text you are looking for, and text represents text in the...
To use data validation to restrict punctuation, you can use a named range and a formula based on the FIND and COUNT functions. In the example shown, the data validation applied to C5:C10 is:
=COUNT(FIND(xlist,B5))=0...
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...
To allow only values that contain a specific text string, you can use data validation with a custom formula based on the FIND and ISNUMBER functions. In the example shown, the data validation applied to C5:C9 is:
=...
Note: Excel contains many built-in "presets" for highlighting values with conditional formatting, including a preset to highlight cells that contain specific text. However, if you want more flexibility, you can use your...
If you need extract the first name from a full name, you can easily do so with the FIND and LEFT functions. In the generic form of the formula (above), name is a full name, with a space separating the first name from...
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 split a text string at a certain character, you can use a combination of the LEFT, RIGHT, LEN, and FIND functions.
In the example shown, the formula in C5 is:
=LEFT(B5,FIND("_",B5)-1)
And the formula in...
T extract the domain from an email address, you can use a formula based on the RIGHT, LEN, and FIND functions. In the generic form above, email represents the email address you are working with. In the example shown,...
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(...
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...
Note: Excel contains many built-in "presets" for highlighting values with conditional formatting, including a preset to highlight cells that begin with specific text. However, if you want more flexibility, you can use...
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...
Related videos
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.
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.
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