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REGEXTEST Function in Excel

Returns TRUE if text matches a regular expression pattern, otherwise FALSE.

Syntax

  • =REGEXTEST(text, pattern, [case_insensitive])

Arguments

  • text (required): Text to test against the pattern
  • pattern (required): Regular expression pattern in double quotes
  • case_insensitive (optional): TRUE to ignore case (default FALSE)

Examples

  • =REGEXTEST("[email protected]", "^[\\w.-]+@[\\w.-]+\\.\\w+$") - Test email-like format - Result: TRUE
  • =REGEXTEST(A2, "^\\d{5}$") - Five-digit ZIP pattern - Result: TRUE or FALSE
  • =IF(REGEXTEST(A2,"@"), "Has @", "Missing @") - Simple validation label - Result: Has @

Excel REGEXTEST function documentation

  • REGEXTEST checks whether text matches a regular expression pattern and returns TRUE or FALSE — ideal for validation columns in imported data.
  • Syntax: =REGEXTEST(text, pattern, [case_insensitive]). Requires Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021+ with regex functions.
  • Use for email-like checks, SKU patterns, postal codes, and flagging rows before [FILTER](/functions/filter/) or Power Query cleanup.
  • Deep guide: [REGEXTEST tutorial](/blog/excel-regextest-function-guide-and-examples/) with email and ID examples.

REGEXTEST syntax and pattern tips

  • text (required): cell or string to test.
  • pattern (required): regex in double quotes — ^ anchors start, $ anchors end, \d digits, \w word chars.
  • case_insensitive (optional): TRUE ignores case; default FALSE.
  • Example: =REGEXTEST(A2, "^[\\w.-]+@[\\w.-]+\\.[A-Za-z]{2,}$") for basic email-shaped text.

REGEXTEST with FILTER and IF

  • Validation label: =IF(REGEXTEST(A2,"^\\d{5}$"), "OK", "Fix ZIP") for five-digit US ZIP pattern.
  • Filter valid rows: =FILTER(Data, REGEXTEST(Data[Email], "@")) as a quick sanity check before mail merge.
  • Combine patterns: test twice with OR logic using + (TRUE=1): =REGEXTEST(A2,"@")+REGEXTEST(A2,"\\.")>0 is crude; prefer one precise pattern.
  • When regex fails, fall back to [FIND](/functions/find/) / [SEARCH](/functions/search/) for simple substring rules in older Excel.

Common REGEXTEST errors

  • #NAME? — Excel build lacks REGEXTEST (Excel 2019 or older desktop).
  • #VALUE! — invalid regex syntax; test patterns in the blog guide or a regex tester first.
  • Unexpected FALSE — pattern too strict; loosen anchors or allow optional groups with ?.
  • Performance — avoid REGEXTEST on full-column references in huge sheets; use structured Table ranges.

People also ask

  • Is REGEXTEST in Excel 2019? — No. Use Microsoft 365 or Excel 2021+.
  • REGEXTEST vs EXACT? — EXACT compares full strings; REGEXTEST matches flexible patterns.
  • Does REGEXTEST work on numbers? — Coerce with TEXT or store IDs as text for leading zeros.

Common errors

  • #NAME? in Excel versions without regex functions
  • #VALUE! for invalid regex syntax

Use cases

  • Data validation
  • Import auditing
  • Format flags
  • Email and ID checks

Frequently asked questions

  • Which Excel versions support REGEXTEST? Microsoft 365 and Excel 2021+ builds that include regex functions. Excel 2019 and older return #NAME?.
  • How is REGEXTEST different from EXACT? EXACT compares two full strings for equality. REGEXTEST checks whether text matches a flexible pattern such as digits, emails, or codes.
  • Can REGEXTEST ignore case? Yes. Set the third argument to TRUE: =REGEXTEST(A1, "abc", TRUE) matches ABC, Abc, and abc.

Editorial review

  • Reviewed by Excel.Directory Editorial Team. Updated May 2026.

When to use REGEXTEST

  • Data validation — common Text scenario for REGEXTEST.
  • Import auditing — common Text scenario for REGEXTEST.
  • Format flags — common Text scenario for REGEXTEST.
  • Email and ID checks — common Text scenario for REGEXTEST.

REGEXTEST in the Text category

  • Browse all Text functions at /categories/text/ for related formulas.
  • REGEXTEST syntax: =REGEXTEST(text, pattern, [case_insensitive])
  • text (required): Text to test against the pattern
  • pattern (required): Regular expression pattern in double quotes
  • case_insensitive (optional): TRUE to ignore case (default FALSE)
  • Confirm REGEXTEST arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.

Formula checklist before you copy down

  • Confirm REGEXTEST arguments match the syntax shown above before filling down.
  • Lock table and range references with $ when copying formulas across rows or sheets.
  • If results look wrong, check for text stored as numbers and invisible spaces with TRIM.
  • Spot-check three known input rows manually against expected output.

Related Excel functions

  • REGEXEXTRACT (/functions/regexextract/): Extracts text that matches a regular expression pattern, optionally from a capture group.
  • REGEXREPLACE (/functions/regexreplace/): Replaces text that matches a regular expression pattern with replacement text.
  • FIND (/functions/find/): Finds one text string within another and returns the starting position (case-sensitive).
  • SEARCH (/functions/search/): Finds one text string within another and returns the starting position (case-insensitive, supports wildcards).
  • IF (/functions/if/): Returns one value if a condition is TRUE and another value if it's FALSE.

Errors to watch for

  • #NAME? in Excel versions without regex functions — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.
  • #VALUE! for invalid regex syntax — review causes on linked error pages in the directory.

Copy-paste audit workflow

  • Enter REGEXTEST on three test rows with known expected output documented on a QA tab.
  • Fill down only after absolute references are locked on lookup tables and rate tables.
  • Compare against manual calculation or a calculator for financial and statistical functions.
  • Search this directory for comparison guides when choosing between similar functions in the same category.

REGEXTEST worked examples to copy

  • =REGEXTEST("[email protected]", "^[\\w.-]+@[\\w.-]+\\.\\w+$") — Test email-like format. Expected result: TRUE.
  • =REGEXTEST(A2, "^\\d{5}$") — Five-digit ZIP pattern. Expected result: TRUE or FALSE.
  • =IF(REGEXTEST(A2,"@"), "Has @", "Missing @") — Simple validation label. Expected result: Has @.

REGEXTEST reference summary for crawlers and offline review

  • REGEXTEST belongs to the Text category in Excel. Returns TRUE if text matches a regular expression pattern, otherwise FALSE.
  • Full syntax: =REGEXTEST(text, pattern, [case_insensitive]). Open /functions/regextest/ for parameters, FAQs, and related pages.
  • Common mistakes: #NAME? in Excel versions without regex functions; #VALUE! for invalid regex syntax
  • Pair this function with comparison guides when another Excel formula might fit the same task better.
  • Review fix-excel-formula-errors when unexpected errors appear after upgrading Excel or sharing across locales.