How to Use FIND Function in Excel: Syntax and Examples
Use the
FIND function in Excel to locate the position of one text string inside another. It returns the starting position as a number, counting from the first character. The syntax is =FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num]).Syntax
The FIND function has three parts:
- find_text: The text you want to find.
- within_text: The text where you want to search.
- start_num (optional): The position to start searching from, default is 1.
It returns the position number where find_text first appears in within_text. It is case-sensitive and does not support wildcards.
excel
=FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
Example
This example finds the position of the letter "e" in the word "Excel".
excel
=FIND("e", "Excel")
Output
3
Common Pitfalls
- Case sensitivity: FIND is case-sensitive, so searching for "e" will not find "E".
- Text not found: If the text is not found, FIND returns an error.
- Start number: If
start_numis greater than the length ofwithin_text, FIND returns an error.
To avoid errors, you can use IFERROR to handle cases when text is not found.
excel
=IFERROR(FIND("e", "Excel"), "Not found")
Output
3
Quick Reference
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| find_text | Text you want to find |
| within_text | Text to search inside |
| start_num | Optional start position (default 1) |
| Return value | Position number of first match |
| Case sensitivity | FIND is case-sensitive |
| Error | Returns #VALUE! if not found |
Key Takeaways
FIND returns the position of text inside another text, counting from the first character.
It is case-sensitive and does not support wildcards.
Use the optional start_num to begin searching from a specific position.
If text is not found, FIND returns an error; use IFERROR to handle this.
For case-insensitive search, consider using SEARCH instead of FIND.