LEFT, RIGHT, MID in Google Sheets - Dashboard Guide

Dashboard Mode - LEFT, RIGHT, MID

Dashboard Goal

This dashboard helps you understand how to extract parts of text strings using the LEFT, RIGHT, and MID functions in Google Sheets. You will see how to get the first few letters, last few letters, or letters from the middle of a text.

Sample Data

Full Name	LEFT (First 5 chars)	RIGHT (Last 4 chars)	MID (Chars 4 to 8)
Jonathan Smith	=LEFT(A2,5)	=RIGHT(A2,4)	=MID(A2,4,5)
Emily Johnson	=LEFT(A3,5)	=RIGHT(A3,4)	=MID(A3,4,5)
Michael Brown	=LEFT(A4,5)	=RIGHT(A4,4)	=MID(A4,4,5)
Sarah Davis	=LEFT(A5,5)	=RIGHT(A5,4)	=MID(A5,4,5)
David Wilson	=LEFT(A6,5)	=RIGHT(A6,4)	=MID(A6,4,5)

Dashboard Components

• KPI Cards: Show examples of LEFT, RIGHT, MID formulas with sample text and their results.
• Example Table: Displays full names and the extracted text parts using the formulas:
• LEFT(A2,5) extracts first 5 characters from the name.
• RIGHT(A2,4) extracts last 4 characters from the name.
• MID(A2,4,5) extracts 5 characters starting from the 4th character.

Dashboard Layout

+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
|      Full Name       |     LEFT (5 chars)   |    RIGHT (4 chars)   |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+
| Jonathan Smith       | Jonat                | mith                 |
| Emily Johnson        | Emily                | nson                 |
| Michael Brown        | Micha                | rown                 |
| Sarah Davis          | Sarah                | avis                 |
| David Wilson         | David                | lson                 |
+----------------------+----------------------+----------------------+

+----------------------+----------------------+
|       MID (4,5)      |   Explanation Cards   |
+----------------------+----------------------+
| athan                | LEFT(text, num_chars) |
| ly Jo                | RIGHT(text, num_chars)|
| hael                 | MID(text, start, len) |
| ah Da                |                      |
| id Wi                |                      |
+----------------------+----------------------+

Interactivity

You can change the number of characters to extract by editing the formulas in the table. For example, change LEFT(A2,5) to LEFT(A2,3) to get the first 3 letters. The results update automatically.

This helps you explore how LEFT, RIGHT, and MID work with different lengths and positions.

Self Check

Add a filter to show only names starting with 'S'. Which rows update in the table? What are the LEFT, RIGHT, and MID results for those names?

Key Result

A dashboard showing how to use LEFT, RIGHT, and MID functions to extract parts of text strings in Google Sheets.

Practice

1. Which function would you use in Google Sheets to get the first 3 letters from the word "Banana"?

easy

A. RIGHT("Banana", 3)

B. LEFT("Banana", 3)

C. MID("Banana", 2, 3)

D. MID("Banana", 3, 3)

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand the function purpose

   The LEFT function extracts characters from the start of the text.

2. Step 2: Apply the function to the word

   LEFT("Banana", 3) returns the first 3 letters: "Ban".

3. Final Answer:

   LEFT("Banana", 3) -> Option B

4. Quick Check:

   LEFT = first letters [OK]

Hint: LEFT gets letters from start, RIGHT from end [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Confusing LEFT with RIGHT function
• Using MID without correct start position
• Assuming MID always starts at 1

2. Which of these formulas correctly extracts the last 4 characters from the text "Spreadsheet"?

easy

A. RIGHT("Spreadsheet", 4)

B. LEFT("Spreadsheet", 4)

C. MID("Spreadsheet", 4, 4)

D. RIGHT("Spreadsheet", 5)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the function for last characters

   The RIGHT function extracts characters from the end of the text.

2. Step 2: Apply the function with correct number

   RIGHT("Spreadsheet", 4) returns the last 4 letters: "eet".

3. Final Answer:

   RIGHT("Spreadsheet", 4) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   RIGHT = last letters [OK]

Hint: RIGHT extracts from end; count how many letters you want [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using LEFT instead of RIGHT for last letters
• Choosing wrong number of characters
• Confusing MID start position with length

3. What is the result of the formula =MID("Adventure", 3, 4) in Google Sheets?

medium

A. "Adve"

B. "entu"

C. "dven"

D. "vent"

Solution

1. Step 1: Understand MID parameters

   MID(text, start, length) extracts length characters starting at position start.

2. Step 2: Apply to "Adventure"

   Starting at position 3: A(1), d(2), v(3), e(4), n(5), t(6), u(7), r(8), e(9). Extract 4 letters: v, e, n, t.

3. Final Answer:

   "vent" -> Option D

4. Quick Check:

   MID("Adventure",3,4) = "vent" [OK]

Hint: Count start position carefully, then take length letters [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Starting count at 0 instead of 1
• Mixing up start position and length
• Assuming MID extracts from start or end

4. The formula =MID("Calculator", 0, 3) is used in a cell. What is the correct fix to get the first 3 letters?

medium

A. =MID("Calculator", 1, 3)

B. =LEFT("Calculator", 4)

C. =RIGHT("Calculator", 3)

D. =MID("Calculator", 3, 3)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the error in MID start position

   MID start position must be 1 or more; 0 is invalid and causes error.

2. Step 2: Correct the start position to 1

   Changing to MID("Calculator", 1, 3) extracts first 3 letters: "Cal".

3. Final Answer:

   =MID("Calculator", 1, 3) -> Option A

4. Quick Check:

   MID start must be ≥1 [OK]

Hint: MID start position must be 1 or more, never zero [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using 0 as start position in MID
• Using RIGHT or LEFT when MID is intended
• Changing length instead of start position

5. You have a list of product codes like "AB12345XYZ". You want to extract the middle 5 digits (positions 3 to 7). Which formula correctly extracts these digits?

hard

A. =RIGHT(A1, 5)

B. =LEFT(A1, 5)

C. =MID(A1, 3, 5)

D. =MID(A1, 5, 3)

Solution

1. Step 1: Identify the start position and length

   The digits start at position 3 and span 5 characters (positions 3,4,5,6,7).

2. Step 2: Use MID with correct parameters

   =MID(A1, 3, 5) extracts 5 characters starting at position 3, which are the digits.

3. Final Answer:

   =MID(A1, 3, 5) -> Option C

4. Quick Check:

   MID extracts middle characters by start and length [OK]

Hint: MID(text, start, length) extracts middle part exactly [OK]

Common Mistakes:

• Using LEFT or RIGHT instead of MID for middle extraction
• Wrong start position or length values
• Assuming digits are always at start or end