SEARCH Function in Excel
Intermediate
Returns the position of one text string within another (case-insensitive, supports wildcards).
Syntax
=SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])Example
Use Case
Find product codes containing 'PRO' regardless of case.
Common Errors to Avoid
- Case-insensitive unlike FIND
- Supports wildcards (* and ?) which may cause unexpected matches
- #VALUE! error if text not found
Pro Tips
Use SEARCH instead of FIND for case-insensitive matching. Supports wildcards: SEARCH('Pr?d*',A1) finds 'Product', 'Pride', etc. Combine with ISNUMBER to test if text exists: =ISNUMBER(SEARCH('text',A1)). Great for flexible text matching.
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