When working with data in Excel, finding specific text within a string is a common task. Luckily, the SEARCH function makes this process effortless. In this guide, I will break down how SEARCH works in Excel and showcase the best SEARCH examples to help you maximize its potential.
Understanding the SEARCH Function
The SEARCH function in Excel is used to find the position of a specific substring within a string. Unlike the FIND function, it is case-insensitive, making it a versatile tool for text searches.
The syntax of the function is as follows:
=SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])find_text: The text you want to locate.within_text: The string in which the search occurs.start_num(optional): The position from where the search should start (default is 1).
Basic Usage of SEARCH
Let’s start with a simple example to locate a word in a sentence:
=SEARCH("Excel", "I love Excel and spreadsheets")The result will be 8, because “Excel” starts at the 8th character.
Using SEARCH with Start Position
If you want to find the second occurrence of a word, you can modify the start_num parameter:
=SEARCH("e", "Excel Spreadsheet", 4)This finds the first occurrence of “e” after position 4, returning 11 as it appears in “Spreadsheet”.
Search with Wildcard Characters
The SEARCH function allows the use of wildcards:
?: Represents any single character.*: Represents any sequence of characters.
Example:
=SEARCH("Ex?el", "I use Excel daily")This will return 8 since “Ex?el” matches “Excel”.
Handling Errors When SEARCH Doesn’t Find a Match
If the SEARCH function doesn’t find the text, it returns an #VALUE! error. To handle this, use the IFERROR function:
=IFERROR(SEARCH("Google", "I use Excel"), "Not Found")This will return “Not Found” instead of an error.
Combining SEARCH with Other Functions
The SEARCH function becomes even more powerful when used with other text functions.
Extracting Text Before a Specific Word
You can use SEARCH with LEFT to extract text before a word:
=LEFT(A1, SEARCH(" ", A1) - 1)This extracts the first word from a sentence in cell A1.
Extracting Text After a Specific Word
To get text after a specific word, use RIGHT and SEARCH:
=RIGHT(A1, LEN(A1) - SEARCH(" ", A1))Finding the Last Word in a Sentence
To extract the last word dynamically:
=RIGHT(A1, LEN(A1) - SEARCH("#", SUBSTITUTE(A1, " ", "#", LEN(A1) - LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1, " ", "")))))Practical Use Cases
There are many scenarios where the SEARCH function can be incredibly useful. Here are some practical applications:
- Finding the position of a specific word in customer feedback.
- Extracting first or last names from a list of full names.
- Identifying keywords in product descriptions for categorization.
Comparison: SEARCH vs. FIND
While both SEARCH and FIND are used to locate text, they have key differences:
| Function | Case-Sensitive | Allows Wildcards |
|---|---|---|
SEARCH |
No | Yes |
FIND |
Yes | No |
If you need a case-sensitive search, use FIND instead of SEARCH.
Final Thoughts
Understanding how SEARCH works in Excel unlocks a powerful way to manipulate text and extract insights from data. Whether you’re looking for specific words, cleaning up datasets, or combining functions to create dynamic formulas, SEARCH provides a flexible approach to string searches.
Other interesting article:
How FIND works in Excel? Best FIND examples