Syntax
MID(text, start_num, num_chars)
| Parameter | Description |
|---|---|
| text | Parameter of the MID function. |
| start_num | Parameter of the MID function. |
| num_chars | Parameter of the MID function. |
Examples
Extract middle portion of a product code
Formula
=MID(A2, 4, 3)
Returns: "456" — 3 characters starting at position 4 from "ABC456-XY"
Get month from a date string
Formula
=MID(A2, 6, 2)
Returns: "03" — the month portion from "2024-03-15"
Extract area code from formatted phone
Formula
=MID(A2, 2, 3)
Returns: "212" — from "(212) 555-1234", starting at position 2 for 3 characters
Common Errors
#VALUE!
Start position or num_chars is negative or zero. Start must be >= 1 and num_chars >= 0.
#VALUE!
The cell is a number, not text. Convert first: =MID(TEXT(A1, "0"), 3, 2).
Tips
Dynamic start with FIND
=MID(A1, FIND("-",A1)+1, 3) extracts 3 characters after the first hyphen.
Extract between delimiters
Combine FIND and MID to extract text between two markers, e.g., between parentheses or brackets.
Safe over-extraction
If num_chars exceeds the remaining text length, MID just returns what is available — it does not error.
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