How to Use the LEFT Function in Excel (Extract Text from the Start)

How to Use the LEFT Function in Excel (Extract Text from the Start)

The LEFT() function in Excel extracts a specific number of characters from the beginning (left side) of a text string.

📘 Syntax:

=LEFT(text, num_chars)

✅ Example:

=LEFT("HR2025EMP", 2)

This returns "HR", which could represent the department code.

🎯 Use Cases:

• Extract department or product prefixes
• Segment structured codes
• Clean imported data with identifiers

💡 Bonus Tip:

Combine with FIND() if the prefix varies in length and has a known delimiter (like "-").

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🎨 Copilot / Canva Image Prompt (Copy block): Design a clean visual of =LEFT("HR2025EMP", 2) showing "HR" extracted and labeled as "Department Code". Type Next for Day 90 blog draft.