Excel TEXTAFTER function: extract text after character or word

Excel's TEXTAFTER function: Effortlessly extract text after a specific character or string

This tutorial demonstrates the efficient use of Excel's TEXTAFTER function to extract data located to the right of a designated character or word within complex datasets. This powerful function offers a streamlined approach compared to older methods.

• Excel's TEXTAFTER Function
• Basic TEXTAFTER Formulas:
  • Extracting Text After a Character
  • Extracting Text After a String
  • Extracting Text After a Word
• Retrieving Text After the Nth Delimiter
• Retrieving Text After the Last Delimiter
• Handling Multiple Delimiters
• Customizing the Output When the Delimiter is Absent
• Returning the Entire String When the Delimiter is Absent
• Case-Sensitive and Case-Insensitive Matching
• Troubleshooting TEXTAFTER

Understanding the TEXTAFTER Function

The TEXTAFTER function retrieves the text following a specified character or substring (the "delimiter"). It handles multiple delimiter instances and offers options for managing scenarios where the delimiter is not found.

The function's syntax is:

TEXTAFTER(text, delimiter, [instance_num], [match_mode], [match_end], [if_not_found])

Six arguments are available, with only the first two being mandatory.

• text (required): The source text (string or cell reference).
• delimiter (required): The character or substring marking the extraction point.
• instance_num (optional): Specifies the delimiter instance (default is 1; negative numbers search from the end).
• match_mode (optional): Controls case sensitivity (0 = case-sensitive, 1 = case-insensitive; default is 0).
• match_end (optional): Treats the end of the text as a delimiter (0 = false, 1 = true; default is 0).
• if_not_found (optional): Specifies the return value if the delimiter is not found (defaults to #N/A).

TEXTAFTER Availability: Note that TEXTAFTER is available only in Excel for Microsoft 365 (Windows and Mac) and Excel for the web. Older versions require alternative formulas.

Basic TEXTAFTER Formula Examples

Let's explore basic usage with only the required arguments.

Extracting Text After a Character

To extract text after a space, use:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, " ")

Extracting Text After a String

To extract text after ", ", use:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, ", ")

Extracting Text After a Word

To extract text after "color ", use: (Note the trailing space in "color ")

=TEXTAFTER(A2, "color ")

Advanced TEXTAFTER Scenarios

Now, let's tackle more complex situations.

Retrieving Text After the Nth Delimiter

To get text after the second comma (", "), use:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, ", ", 2)

Retrieving Text After the Last Delimiter

To get text after the last comma, use a negative instance_num:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, ", ", -1)

Handling Multiple Delimiters

Use an array constant for multiple delimiters (e.g., {",",", ",";","; "}):

=TEXTAFTER(A2, {",",", ",";","; "})

Customizing Output When the Delimiter is Missing

Use the if_not_found argument to replace the #N/A error. For example, to return a blank cell:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, "color ", , , , "")

Returning the Original String When the Delimiter is Missing

Combine instance_num (-1), and match_end (1) to return the original text if the delimiter is not found:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, ": ", -1, ,1)

Case-Sensitive and Case-Insensitive Matching

The match_mode argument controls case sensitivity. Set to 1 for case-insensitive matching:

=TEXTAFTER(A2, "color ", ,1)

Troubleshooting TEXTAFTER

• #N/A: Delimiter not found (use if_not_found). instance_num exceeds delimiter count.
• #VALUE!: instance_num is 0 or exceeds text length.

Conclusion

Excel's TEXTAFTER function provides a concise and powerful way to extract text after specific delimiters. Mastering its various arguments allows for flexible data manipulation within your spreadsheets. A practice workbook is available for download.

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