FIND Function in Excel
Master the FIND function to locate text within strings. Learn syntax, handle #VALUE! errors, and explore 7 practical examples for text extraction.
Excel
Google SheetsExcelGoogle Sheets=FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])Practical Examples
Extract Email Domain
Find the @ symbol to extract domain from email addresses
Split First and Last Name
Locate space character to separate full names
Extract File Extension
Find the last period to get file extensions
Validate URL Protocol
Check if URLs contain http:// or https://
Parse Product Codes
Extract category from structured product codes like 'CAT-SUBCAT-ID'
Find Second Occurrence
Locate the second comma in CSV-style data
Case-Sensitive Password Validation
Verify exact case match for security codes
Common Errors and Solutions
FIND cannot locate the search text
The search text doesn't exist in the target string, or parameters are invalid
1. Verify the search text exists using IFERROR or ISERROR 2. Check for extra spaces with TRIM 3. Ensure start_num is positive and within text length 4. Remember FIND is case-sensitive - verify exact case match 5. Use SEARCH for case-insensitive searches
Always wrap FIND in IFERROR when the text might not exist: =IFERROR(FIND("text", A1), "Not Found")
Example:
Invalid start_num parameter
The start_num parameter is less than 1 or greater than the text length
1. Ensure start_num is at least 1 2. Verify start_num doesn't exceed LEN(within_text) 3. Use MIN function to cap start_num: MIN(start_num, LEN(text)) 4. Add validation before using FIND
Validate the start position: =IF(B1>LEN(A1), "Invalid start", FIND("x", A1, B1))
Example:
FIND returns error due to case sensitivity
Search text has different capitalization than the target text
1. Use SEARCH instead for case-insensitive matching 2. Convert both strings to same case: FIND(UPPER(find_text), UPPER(within_text)) 3. Standardize data with PROPER, UPPER, or LOWER 4. Document case requirements for users
For case-insensitive searches, always use SEARCH instead of FIND, or standardize case first
Example:
Best Practices and Advanced Techniques
FIND works best when combined with other text functions. Use with MID to extract text after found position: `=MID(A1, FIND(":", A1) + 1, LEN(A1))`. Combine with LEFT for text before: `=LEFT(A1, FIND("-", A1) - 1)`. This combination pattern solves 80% of text extraction needs.
Remember FIND is always case-sensitive. 'Apple' and 'apple' are different to FIND. If you need case-insensitive searching, use SEARCH function instead. Many users waste time debugging when they forget this crucial difference.
Always wrap FIND in IFERROR for production spreadsheets. Text might not contain what you're searching for, causing #VALUE! errors that break dependent formulas. Use: `=IFERROR(FIND("x", A1), 0)` or return a meaningful message.
To find the last occurrence of a character, use this pattern: `=FIND("~", SUBSTITUTE(A1, "-", "~", LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1, "-", ""))))`. This replaces the last occurrence with a unique character, then finds it. Perfect for file extensions or last delimiters.
For large datasets (>10,000 rows), FIND is faster than complex array formulas or regular expressions. It processes 100,000 cells in under a second. However, avoid unnecessary nested FIND calls - store intermediate results in helper columns for better performance.
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Example Excel formula:
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Excel