SEARCH Google Sheet Formula
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SEARCH Formula Syntax
Example Use Case
Locating the position of text within a string (case-insensitive)
Understanding the SEARCH Formula
The SEARCH function in Excel returns the starting position of one text string within another, ignoring case. It's a search tool for parsing text—like finding keywords or delimiters regardless of capitalization.
SEARCH("e", "Hello") returns 2, as 'e' starts at the 2nd position. It takes a find_text, within_text, and optional start_num (default 1), erroring if not found—unlike FIND, it ignores case.
Why Use SEARCH?
SEARCH pinpoints text—think extracting parts or validating formats. Its case insensitivity makes it user-friendly for general lookups, offering more flexibility than FIND for casual string searches.
Example with Sample Data
| Find, Within | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| 'e', 'Hello' | =SEARCH("e", "Hello") | 2 |
| 'E', 'hello' | =SEARCH("E", "hello") | 2 |
| 'l', 'Hello', 3 | =SEARCH("l", "Hello", 3) | 4 |
SEARCH locates: 'e' and 'E' both at 2, ignoring case. It's a flexible finder.
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