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How to repeat a character N times in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Text manipulationExcel & Google Sheets
=REPT("-",B2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Label | Count |
| Stars | 3 |
| Dashes | 5 |
| Dots | 4 |
| Equals | 2 |
=REPT("-",B2)→---
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Step by step
- 1Click the cell where you want the repeated characters.
- 2Type =REPT( then enter the character or string in quotes, e.g., "-" or "*".
- 3Add a comma, then enter the number of repetitions — either a number directly or a cell reference.
- 4Close the parenthesis and press Enter.
- 5Example: =REPT("*",5) produces "*****" and =REPT("=-",3) produces "=-=-=-=-=-".
Tips
- Combine with LEN to pad strings to a fixed width: =A2&REPT(" ",20-LEN(A2)) right-pads the value in A2 to 20 characters.
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Frequently asked
What is the maximum number of repetitions?
Excel allows up to 32,767 characters in a cell, so the repeat count multiplied by the character length must stay within that limit.
Can I repeat an entire word or phrase?
Yes — REPT works with any text, so =REPT("ha",3) returns 'hahaha'.
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