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How to remove non-numeric characters in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationHeads up: Excel and Google Sheets do this differently.
Excel
=TEXTJOIN("",TRUE,IF(ISNUMBER(VALUE(MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1))),MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1),""))Google Sheets
=REGEXREPLACE(A2,"[^0-9]","")Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1In Google Sheets, enter =REGEXREPLACE(A2,"[^0-9]","") — this replaces every character that is NOT a digit with nothing.
- 2In Excel 365, use =TEXTJOIN("",TRUE,IF(ISNUMBER(VALUE(MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1))),MID(A2,ROW(INDIRECT("1:"&LEN(A2))),1),"")) as a Ctrl+Shift+Enter array formula.
- 3Wrap in VALUE() if you need the output as an actual number rather than a text string.
- 4Copy the formula down for all rows.
Tips
- To also allow decimal points in the result, adjust the Sheets regex to [^0-9\.] to keep periods alongside digits.
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
Will this work on phone numbers with parentheses and dashes?
Yes — all non-digit characters including parentheses, spaces, and dashes are removed, leaving only the numeric digits.
What about preserving a leading plus sign for international numbers?
Adjust the regex to [^0-9+] to allow the plus sign through.
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