Syntax
=FIND(search_for, text_to_search, [starting_at])
search_for- The text to look for.
text_to_search- The text to search in.
starting_at- Optional. Position to start searching from.
FIND function in Google Sheets
FIND returns the position where one piece of text first appears inside another. It's case-sensitive, and is mostly used to feed a position into LEFT, RIGHT or MID.
Practice FIND
Task 1 of 2
At what position is the @ in the email in A2? Answer in B2.
Tip: while typing a formula, click a cell or drag across cells to insert references. Press Enter to check, and Tab to accept a function suggestion.
FIND examples
Each example below runs against this sample sheet. The results are calculated by the same engine as the practice grid.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Emp ID | Name | Dept | Salary | |
| 2 | 1042 | Maya Patel | Finance | maya.patel@acme.co | $72,000.00 |
| 3 | 1187 | Leo Rossi | Support | leo.rossi@acme.co | $51,000.00 |
| 4 | 1305 | Ava Kim | Sales | ava.kim@acme.co | $64,000.00 |
| 5 | 1411 | Omar Ali | Marketing | omar.ali@acme.co | $58,000.00 |
| 6 | 1520 | Hana Tanaka | Sales | hana.tanaka@acme.co | $69,000.00 |
| Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|
=FIND("@", D2) | 11 | Where the @ sits in the email. |
=LEFT(D2, FIND("@", D2) - 1) | maya.patel | Username: everything before the @. |
=FIND("M", B2) | 1 | Case-sensitive: the capital M. |
=FIND("z", B2) | #VALUE! | Not found returns #VALUE!. |
Tips and common mistakes
- Use SEARCH if you want case-insensitive matching or wildcards.
- To test whether text contains something, wrap in ISNUMBER: =ISNUMBER(FIND("x", A2)).
Related functions
Learning step by step? FIND is covered in Lesson 28: FIND & SEARCH of the free course.