For instance, there is a list with long strings in each cell, and you want to extract the first n characters from each string only, like the first 3 characters of each string, and now you can use the following methods to solve it in Excel.
Extract first/last n characters from string with formula
Extract first/last n characters from string with Kutools for Excel
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Extract first/last n characters from string with formula
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Extract first n characters from string
Select a blank cell, here I select the Cell G1, and type this formula =LEFT(E1,3) (E1 is the cell you want to extract the first 3 characters from), press Enter button, and drag fill handle to the range you want. Then you see the first 3 characters are extracted.
If you want to extract the last n characters, like the last 3 characters, type this formula = RIGHT(E1, 3).
Extract first/last n characters from string with Kutools for Excel
The Remove by Position feature of Kutools for Excel also can extract the first or last n characters only from strings in Excel.
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1. Select the range you want to extract first 3 characters firstly, and click Kutools > Text Tools > Remove by position. See screenshot:
2. In the Remove by Position dialog, you need to type the number of the characters you want to remove from the string into the Numbers textbox, like in this case, I want to reserve the first 3 characters, so I need to remove 8 characters from right, then check From right. See screenshot
3. Click Ok, and you see only the first 3 character are reserved.
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Tip: If you want to extract the last 3 characters, check From left and specify the number of the characters you want to remove from the strings.
Note:
1. Applying this feature will change your original data, you’d better copy them firstly.
2. Only all the strings in each cell have the some characters long can this feature work.
Click here for more on Remove by Position.
Relative Articles:
- Extract all but first/last character or word in Excel
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Ravi teja
#39501
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A1
UAN 101371765394, want only this Specific number 101371765394
Then =MID(A1,4,LEN(A1))
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Vignesh
#38414
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Line No: 2 AADHAAR XXXX XXXX 7842 is already mapped with UAN 101371765394,101371765394
This is paragraph i want only this number 101371765394.How i can get only number what is the formula for this. Kindly help us
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Cynthia Ferrera
#30296
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So I want to build a formula to make a unique id number with a persons first three letters of last name and first 2 letters of first name and zeros to fill in the rest in total 8 characters? Did I ask correctly?
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Sunny Cynthia Ferrera
#30297
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Hi, Cynthia Ferrera, no one formula can finish that job, but you can use multiple formulas to handle it, if you are interested in the solution, you can view the screen. If you do not want to use such many formulas, you can try Kutools for Excel' Split Names function and Extract Text function to finish the task.
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matt
#29289
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i'm trying to set up a formula in my current worksheet. i want to remove everything after the first 5 numbers. I cant use kutools app at work. I dont know how to add the formula in to my current one. Any thoughts? the 53090 is what i would want and that is located in cell Q. This is a break down of 75 different numbers for different groups. I have each set of numbers assigned to a different grouping. As of right now i manually have to keep removing the extra numbers from each cell.
=SUM(COUNTIFS($O$12:$O$193,"530",$Q$12:$Q$193,{"53090","53095"}))
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Debbie matt
#29290
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just use left
=left() click on the text you want to use, then the number of characters 5
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Ankur Pratap Singh Debbie
#29291
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hi, The Left/Right function works but it prints number as text. I mean when I try to apply the formula to extracted digits it do not give any output. I hope u understand what I am Trying to say
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#22021
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I love Kutools explanation needs to say this Kutools works only if the cells have the same number of characters. It won't work if the cells have different number of characters. For example, say I want to extract the first character of these FDIC board members ie, M, L and B. Kutools won't do it. But "=LEFT(E1,3)" in the first technique will work.
Martin J. Gruenberg
Lorraine Dennison
Barbara Ryan
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