Syntax
LEFT(text, [num_chars])
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| text | Parameter of the LEFT function. |
| [num_chars] | (Optional.) Parameter of the LEFT function. |
Examples
Extract area code from phone number
Formula
=LEFT(A2, 3)
Returns: "212" — the first 3 characters from "212-555-1234"
Get first name from full name
Formula
=LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2)-1)
Returns: "John" — extracts everything before the first space in "John Smith"
Extract year from date string
Formula
=LEFT(A2, 4)
Returns: "2024" — first 4 characters from "2024-03-15"
Common Errors
#VALUE!
The num_chars argument is negative. It must be zero or a positive number.
#VALUE!
The cell contains a date or number, not text. Wrap it with TEXT() first to convert: =LEFT(TEXT(A1,"0"), 3).
Tips
Dynamic length with FIND
Extract text before a delimiter: =LEFT(A1, FIND("-", A1)-1) gets everything before the first hyphen.
Omit num_chars for 1
=LEFT(A1) returns just the first character, same as =LEFT(A1, 1).
Combine with LEN
To get everything except the last N characters: =LEFT(A1, LEN(A1)-N).
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