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How to remove special characters from text in Excel and Google Sheets
Heads up: Excel and Google Sheets do this differently.
Excel
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"!",""),"@","")Google Sheets
=REGEXREPLACE(A2,"[@!]","")✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Original Text | Cleaned Text |
| Hello! How are you? | Hello How are you? |
| Contact me @example.com | Contact me example.com |
=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"!",""),"@","")→Hello How are you?
Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Select the cell where you want the cleaned text to appear.
- 2Enter the appropriate formula based on whether you're using Excel or Google Sheets.
- 3Adjust the cell reference in the formula to match your data's location.
Tips
- Ensure that all special characters you want to remove are included in the formula.
- Test the formula on a small dataset before applying it to your entire dataset.
- Be aware of locale differences that might affect formula syntax.
Need the Google Sheets version instead? Open Sheets variant in workspace →
Working on a sheet you inherited? Run the Auditor on the whole file first — it flags every #REF!, #N/A, broken column pattern, and inconsistent formula in seconds, free, no signup.
Frequently asked
Can I remove multiple types of special characters at once?
Yes, by nesting SUBSTITUTE functions in Excel or using REGEXREPLACE with a pattern in Google Sheets.
What if my special characters include spaces or punctuation marks?
Include these in your formula as well, adjusting the pattern or additional SUBSTITUTE functions accordingly.
Is there a limit to the number of characters I can remove using this method?
No practical limit, but excessively long formulas may impact performance; consider using VBA or scripts for very complex tasks.