Quick Navigation
FIND, FINDB Functions
Summary
The FIND function locates a substring within text and returns its starting position, performing case-sensitive searches. FINDB is the double-byte character set version, now deprecated as modern FIND handles Unicode properly.
Syntax
FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| find_text | Text |
Yes | Required text string to find within within_text |
| within_text | Text |
Yes | Required text containing the substring to find |
| start_num | Number |
No | Optional. Character position to begin search (1 = first character) |
Using the FIND, FINDB Function
FIND is perfect for precise text manipulation tasks like extracting parts of strings, validating content positions, or building dynamic formulas that depend on substring locations. Use it when exact case matching matters.
Common FIND, FINDB Examples
Find First Occurrence
=FIND("M","Miriam McGovern")Returns 1 (position of first M) - demonstrates case sensitivity as lowercase m is at position 6.
Case Sensitivity Demo
=FIND("m","Miriam McGovern")Returns 6 (position of lowercase m) - different from uppercase M.
Extract Text Before Symbol
=MID(A1,1,FIND("#",A1)-1)Extracts "Ceramic Insulators" from "Ceramic Insulators #124-TD45-87".
Skip Prefix Text
=FIND("Y","AYF0093.YoungMensApparel",8)Returns 9 - skips serial number prefix to find Y in description.
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Errors and Solutions
#VALUE! Error
Cause: find_text not found, start_num ≤ 0, or start_num > length of within_text
Solution: Verify text exists, use valid start_num between 1 and LEN(within_text)
Wrong position returned
Cause: Case mismatch or searching from wrong start_num
Solution: Check case sensitivity and adjust start_num parameter
Empty find_text result
Cause: find_text is empty string ""
Solution: FIND returns start_num position (or 1) when searching for empty string
Notes
- Always case-sensitive - 'Apple' ≠ 'apple'
- Counts each Unicode character as 1 (even surrogate pairs in modern Excel)
- Perfect partner for MID, LEFT, RIGHT functions
- Use nested with IFERROR to handle #VALUE! errors
- FINDB only needed in legacy double-byte environments
Compatibility
Available in: Excel 2007, Excel 2010, Excel 2013, Excel 2016, Excel 2019, Excel 2021, Microsoft 365
Not available in:
Content last reviewed: December 9, 2025
Update frequency: As needed
Excel versions tested: Excel 2007+