How to Use LEFT, RIGHT, and MID Functions in Excel to Extract Text

How to Use LEFT, RIGHT, and MID Functions in Excel to Extract Text

Excel’s LEFT, RIGHT, and MID functions are used to extract parts of a text string from a cell. They’re powerful for cleaning data and creating reports.

🔹 LEFT Function

=LEFT(text, num_chars)

Example: =LEFT("HR_Manager", 2) → "HR"

🔹 RIGHT Function

=RIGHT(text, num_chars)

Example: =RIGHT("HR_Manager", 7) → "Manager"

🔹 MID Function

=MID(text, start_num, num_chars)

Example: =MID("HR_Manager", 4, 3) → "Man"

📌 Use Case Examples

• Extracting first/last names from a full name
• Splitting codes like "EMP2025HR" into parts
• Cleaning imported data from external systems

✨ Mastering these helps automate text formatting and processing tasks.

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