How to Use the LEFT Function in Excel (Extract Characters from the Left)

How to Use the LEFT Function in Excel (Extract Characters from the Left)

The LEFT() function allows you to extract a specific number of characters from the beginning (left) of a text string. It's extremely useful in data cleaning and formatting tasks.

📘 Syntax:

=LEFT(text, num_chars)

✅ Example:

=LEFT("Invoice2025", 7)

This returns "Invoice" – the first 7 characters from the text string.

🎯 Use Cases:

• Split ID codes and names
• Remove extra details from long strings
• Clean up imported data

📌 Bonus Tip:

You can combine LEFT with SEARCH() to extract up to a certain character like a space or dash.

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