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How to remove the last N characters from a cell in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-3)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Filename | Base |
| report.csv | |
| data.txt | |
| log.csv | |
| notes.csv | |
| backup.csv |
=LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-3)→report.
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Step by step
- 1Determine how many characters to remove from the end — for example, 3 to remove a ".csv" or similar suffix.
- 2Enter =LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-3) in an empty cell; this returns all characters except the last 3.
- 3Adjust the number 3 to however many trailing characters you need to drop.
- 4Use IFERROR to handle cells shorter than N characters: =IFERROR(LEFT(A2,LEN(A2)-3),"").
Tips
- To remove a variable suffix that follows a known delimiter, use LEFT with FIND instead of a fixed count: =LEFT(A2,FIND(".",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 if I don't know how many characters to remove?
Use FIND or SEARCH to locate the delimiter and calculate the removal dynamically.
Does this differ between Excel and Google Sheets?
No — LEFT and LEN work identically in both applications.
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