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MID Function
Summary
The Excel MID function extracts a specific number of characters from a text string, starting at the position you specify. It's perfect for pulling substrings from larger text values like names, codes, or data fields.
Syntax
MID(text, start_num, num_chars)Parameters
| Parameter | Type | Required | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| text | Text |
Yes | Text string or cell reference containing the characters to extract |
| start_num | Number |
Yes | Position to start extraction (1 for first character, 2 for second, etc.) |
| num_chars | Number |
Yes | Number of characters to extract from start position |
Using the MID Function
MID is a fundamental text function for parsing and manipulating strings. Use it to extract specific portions of data from concatenated text, separate names into first/last components, or clean up imported data by pulling only the relevant segments.
Common MID Examples
Extract Last Name
=MID(A2,FIND(" ",A2)+1,20)Extracts last name from full name in A2 (e.g., "John Smith" → "Smith")
Get Product Code
=MID(B2,1,5)Pulls first 5 characters from product code (e.g., "ABC123XYZ" → "ABC12")
Extract Domain
=MID(C2,FIND("@",C2)+1,LEN(C2))Gets domain from email address (e.g., "[email protected]" → "domain.com")
Frequently Asked Questions
Common Errors and Solutions
#VALUE! error
Cause: start_num or num_chars is not a valid number
Solution: Ensure numeric arguments are numbers or use VALUE function
Empty result ""
Cause: start_num > length of text
Solution: Use LEN function to check text length first
Notes
- Positions are 1-based (1 = first character)
- Maximum num_chars limited by available text length
- Use FIND or SEARCH with MID for dynamic positioning
- In Excel for web and Mac, behavior identical to Windows version
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+