Text Extraction Formula Generator
Describe what part of a text string you need — the start, the end, a chunk in the middle, or everything before/after a character — and get a ready-to-use LEFT, RIGHT, or MID formula for Excel or Google Sheets.
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LEFT, RIGHT, and MID syntax
=LEFT(text, [num_chars])
=RIGHT(text, [num_chars])
=MID(text, start_num, num_chars)LEFT and RIGHT take a fixed character count from one end of the text; MID takes a chunk starting at any position. When the part you need isn't a fixed length, these are usually combined with FIND or SEARCH to locate a delimiter first. Formulon works out the exact combination for whatever text pattern you describe.
Examples
Extract an area code from a phone number
=LEFT(A2,3)Takes the first 3 characters of the text in A2 — e.g. "555-1234" becomes "555".
Extract a domain from an email address
=MID(A2,FIND("@",A2)+1,LEN(A2))Finds the position of "@" in A2, then extracts everything after it to the end of the string — e.g. "jane@example.com" becomes "example.com", regardless of how long the name before the @ is.
Frequently asked questions
When do I use LEFT vs RIGHT vs MID?
LEFT pulls a fixed number of characters from the start of a text string, RIGHT pulls from the end, and MID pulls a chunk from anywhere in the middle given a starting position and length.
How do I extract text before or after a specific character?
Combine with FIND or SEARCH to locate the character's position dynamically, e.g. =MID(A2,FIND("@",A2)+1,LEN(A2)) extracts everything after an "@" symbol, regardless of where it falls in the string.
What's the difference between FIND and SEARCH?
FIND is case-sensitive and doesn't support wildcards. SEARCH is case-insensitive and does support wildcards (* and ?). Both return the character position of the text you're looking for, which is what LEFT/RIGHT/MID need to extract a variable-length substring.
Are LEFT, RIGHT, and MID the same in Google Sheets?
Yes, all three — along with FIND, SEARCH, and LEN — have identical syntax and behavior in Excel and Google Sheets.
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