FIND and SEARCH in Google Sheets: Complete Guide with Examples | SheetXAI

The Problem

You have email addresses in column A and need to extract the domain part (everything after @). You need to find where the '@' symbol is located first.

The Easy Way: Use SheetXAI

If you don't want to mess with formulas, the fastest way to do this is simply by asking.

With SheetXAI, you can open the sidebar and type:

Find the position of '@' in the email address in A2.

SheetXAI will instantly write the formula or script for you and fill the cells. It handles the syntax so you can focus on the result.

The Manual Way: The Formulas You Need

To do this manually, you need to use: FIND or SEARCH.

1. FIND

Returns the position of a text string within another text string. Case-sensitive.

Syntax: =FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])

• find_text: The text you want to find (e.g., '@').
• within_text: The text to search within (e.g., the email address).
• [start_num]: The character position to start searching from (optional, defaults to 1).

Example: Find '@' in 'john@example.com' returns 5 (the position of @).

2. SEARCH

Returns the position of a text string within another text string. Case-insensitive (unlike FIND).

Syntax: =SEARCH(search_text, within_text, [start_num])

• search_text: The text you want to find (e.g., '@').
• within_text: The text to search within.
• [start_num]: The character position to start searching from (optional).

Example: Search for '@' in 'John@Example.com' returns 5, same as FIND, but SEARCH ignores case.

Understanding the Logic

1. FIND vs SEARCH: FIND is case-sensitive, SEARCH is not. Use FIND when case matters, SEARCH when it doesn't.
2. Returns position: Both return the character position where the text is found (1 = first character).
3. Combine with other functions: Often used with MID, LEFT, or RIGHT to extract text after finding its position.
4. Error handling: If text isn't found, both return #VALUE! error. Use IFERROR to handle this.

Example: To extract domain from email, find '@' position, then use MID to get text after it.

The Final Formula:

=FIND("@", A2)

Conclusion

Now you know the "classic" way to solve this using formulas. It's a great skill to have.

But for those times when you just want the job done without the mental math, SheetXAI is there to help.

Related Guides

• How to Extract Domain from Email in Google Sheets - Extract email domains
• CONCATENATE in Google Sheets - Combine text strings
• Google Sheets AI Guide - Learn how AI can automate your Google Sheets workflows
• AI Spreadsheet Tools - Discover how AI transforms spreadsheet work