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FIND vs SEARCH: case sensitivity in Excel and Sheets
Excel & Google Sheets
=FIND("a",A2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Text | Position of 'a' |
| alpha | 1 |
| Beta | |
| gamma | 2 |
| delta | 2 |
| apple | 1 |
=FIND("a",A2)→1
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Step by step
- 1Decide whether case matters: use FIND when the match must be exact (e.g., finding 'USD' not 'usd'), use SEARCH when case does not matter.
- 2Write =FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num]) or =SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num]).
- 3Both return a number — the character position where the substring starts. Wrap in IFERROR to handle cases where the text is not found.
- 4Use the result with MID, LEFT, or RIGHT to extract surrounding text: =MID(A2, FIND("@",A2)+1, 100).
Tips
- SEARCH supports the * and ? wildcards; FIND does not — use SEARCH when you need pattern matching.
Need it for your exact data?
Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
What does FIND return if the text is not found?
Both FIND and SEARCH return a #VALUE! error when the search string is not found. Wrap in IFERROR to return a fallback instead.
Is SEARCH available in Google Sheets?
Yes, both FIND and SEARCH work identically in Google Sheets.