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Formulas > =FIND()

How To Use FIND() Function in Google Sheets

Description

Returns the position at which a string is first found within text.


Common questions about the FIND formula in Google Sheets:
  1. What does the FIND formula do?
  2. How does the FIND formula work?
  3. What are the arguments of the FIND formula?
  4. Can the FIND formula be used to search for multiple occurrences of a text?
  5. Does the FIND formula distinguish between uppercase and lowercase letters?
  6. Can the FIND formula search for special characters or symbols?
  7. How can the FIND formula be combined with other functions in Google Sheets?

Appropriate use of the FIND formula in Google Sheets:
  1. Finding the position of a specific text within a larger text string.
  2. Extracting a portion of a text based on its position.
  3. Performing conditional formatting based on the presence or position of specific text.
  4. Searching for specific keywords or phrases within a text.

Common mistyping of the FIND formula:
  1. Misspelling the function name as "FIN" or "FINDS."
  2. Mixing up the order of the arguments, such as using the search text before the text to be searched.
  3. Omitting the quotation marks around the search text argument.

Common inappropriate use of the FIND formula:
  1. Using the FIND formula when the data is not in text format.
  2. Expecting the FIND formula to return multiple occurrences of a text (it only returns the position of the first occurrence).
  3. Using the FIND formula for complex text analysis tasks better suited for regular expressions or other advanced techniques.

Common pitfalls when using the FIND formula:
  1. Case sensitivity: The FIND formula is case-sensitive, meaning it distinguishes between uppercase and lowercase letters.
  2. Positioning: The FIND formula returns the position of the first character of the found text within the larger text string.
  3. Error handling: If the search text is not found, the FIND formula returns an error value (#VALUE!).

Common mistakes when using the FIND formula:
  1. Forgetting to specify the cell references or text strings correctly in the formula.
  2. Failing to consider the case sensitivity of the FIND formula.
  3. Neglecting to handle the error values returned when the search text is not found.

Common misconceptions about the FIND formula:
  1. The FIND formula can directly extract or replace a specific text within a string (it only returns the position).
  2. The FIND formula can search for multiple occurrences of a text (it only finds the position of the first occurrence).
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How To Actually Use FIND() in Sheets

FIND(search_for, text_to_search, [starting_at])
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Learn more about the FIND() formula:

FIND a character or string from another string in Google Sheets and Excel

Quickly learn the FIND function in Excel and Google Sheets. What does it do? What does it return? I will show you examples of using this function. I’ll also show you some tips to keep in mind when using the function like using the default option for the 3rd parameter.

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