LEFT

Beginner

Text

Extracts a specified number of characters from the start of a text string.

Syntax
=LEFT(text, [num_chars])
Parameters
text
Required
(text)

Text string to extract from

num_chars(number)

Number of characters to extract (default: 1)

Examples
Real-world examples to help you understand how to use LEFT

Extract first 3 characters

=LEFT(A1, 3)

Gets first 3 characters from cell A1

Result: First 3 chars

Get area code

=LEFT(A1, 3)

Extracts area code from phone number

Result: Area code

Extract initials

=LEFT(A1, 1)&LEFT(B1, 1)

Gets first letter of first and last name

Result: Initials

Common Use Cases
  • ✓Extract area codes
  • ✓Get product codes
  • ✓Parse identifiers
  • ✓Extract initials
  • ✓Truncate long text
Pro Tips
  • 💡If num_chars omitted, extracts 1 character
  • 💡If num_chars > text length, returns entire text
  • 💡Combine with FIND to extract dynamically
  • 💡Useful for parsing fixed-width data
Common Errors
  • ⚠️Negative num_chars (returns #VALUE!)
  • ⚠️Not handling empty cells
  • ⚠️Assuming fixed positions without validation
Related Formulas
RIGHTMIDLENFIND

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