What is the syntax for SEARCH in Excel?

The syntax for SEARCH is: =SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])

What are common errors with SEARCH?

#VALUE! if text not found. Wildcards: * = any chars, ? = single char

When should I use SEARCH vs FIND?

Use SEARCH for case-insensitive matching or wildcards. Use FIND for exact, case-sensitive matching. SEARCH("ABC","abc")=1, FIND("ABC","abc")=#VALUE!.

How do wildcards work in SEARCH?

* matches any sequence of characters, ? matches exactly one character. =SEARCH("p*e", "Apple") finds 'pple' (p...e pattern). =SEARCH("p?e", "Apple") finds 'ple'.

How do I search for literal * or ?

Use tilde (~) to escape: =SEARCH("~*", A1) finds literal asterisk. =SEARCH("~?", A1) finds literal question mark.

How do I check if text contains a word (case-insensitive)?

Use =ISNUMBER(SEARCH("word", A1)). Returns TRUE if found regardless of case, FALSE otherwise. Avoids #VALUE! error.

Can SEARCH find multiple patterns?

Not directly. Use OR with multiple ISNUMBER(SEARCH()): =OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("cat",A1)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH("dog",A1))) checks for either word.

Text

SEARCH Function in Excel

Finds one text string within another and returns the starting position (case-insensitive, supports wildcards).

Syntax

=SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])

Arguments

find_text (required): Text to find (can include wildcards)
within_text (required): Text to search in
start_num (optional): Position to start searching (default 1)

Examples

=SEARCH("apple", "Apple Pie") - Case-insensitive search - Result: 1
=SEARCH("p?e", "Apple Pie") - Wildcard search - Result: 3

Text cleanup before SEARCH

Run [TRIM](/functions/trim/) and [CLEAN](/functions/clean/) on imported keys before lookups.
Join or split text before analysis — see [TEXTJOIN](/functions/textjoin/) and [TEXTSPLIT](/functions/textsplit/).
Guide: [Excel text functions](/guides/excel-text-functions-guide/).

Common errors

#VALUE! if text not found
Wildcards: * = any chars, ? = single char

Use cases

Case-insensitive matching
Pattern matching
Text extraction

Frequently asked questions

When should I use SEARCH vs FIND? Use SEARCH for case-insensitive matching or wildcards. Use FIND for exact, case-sensitive matching. SEARCH("ABC","abc")=1, FIND("ABC","abc")=#VALUE!.
How do wildcards work in SEARCH? * matches any sequence of characters, ? matches exactly one character. =SEARCH("p*e", "Apple") finds 'pple' (p...e pattern). =SEARCH("p?e", "Apple") finds 'ple'.
How do I search for literal * or ? Use tilde (~) to escape: =SEARCH("~*", A1) finds literal asterisk. =SEARCH("~?", A1) finds literal question mark.
How do I check if text contains a word (case-insensitive)? Use =ISNUMBER(SEARCH("word", A1)). Returns TRUE if found regardless of case, FALSE otherwise. Avoids #VALUE! error.
Can SEARCH find multiple patterns? Not directly. Use OR with multiple ISNUMBER(SEARCH()): =OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("cat",A1)), ISNUMBER(SEARCH("dog",A1))) checks for either word.

Editorial review

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