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How to remove the first character from a cell in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-1)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Original | Trimmed |
| $1000 | |
| #Error | |
| *Note | |
| @User | |
| -Tag |
=RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-1)→000
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Step by step
- 1Click the destination cell (e.g. B2).
- 2Enter =RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-1) — LEN(A2) gives the total character count; subtracting 1 skips the first character.
- 3Press Enter and copy the formula down.
- 4To remove the first N characters instead, change -1 to -N.
Tips
- Combine with VALUE() if the result should be a number after removing a leading symbol: =VALUE(RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-1)).
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 happens if the cell contains only one character?
RIGHT returns an empty string, which is correct behavior — the result is simply blank.
Can I use MID instead?
Yes — =MID(A2,2,LEN(A2)) is equivalent and also removes the first character.
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