Excel SEARCH Function
Chala mitrano — sEARCH is FIND’s relaxed cousin. Case does not matter, and * ? wildcards work.
चला मित्रांनो — SEARCH हे FIND चा शिथिल cousin. Case महत्त्वाचे नाही, * ? चालतात.
चलो दोस्तों — SEARCH, FIND का आरामदायक cousin है. Case मायने नहीं, * ? चलते हैं.
Purpose
Find the starting position of text inside another string. Case-insensitive, and supports ? and * wildcards.
Return value
A 1-based position number, or #VALUE! if not found.
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Required? | Description |
|---|---|---|
find_text | Required | Text to find (wildcards allowed). |
within_text | Required | Text to search. |
start_num | Optional | Start position (default 1). |
Version
All Excel versions. LibreOffice Calc has SEARCH with similar behaviour.
How to use — Why → What → How
Why: Surat catalogue notes mix case when staff type fabric names. Leeds marketplace titles do the same. SEARCH finds the word regardless of case. SEARCH powers contains-checks in catalogue notes. Contrast it with FIND on Cotton vs cotton in the same minute. Wildcards deserve a tiny demo, not a chapter of theory.
What: SEARCH returns the position of find_text without caring about letter case. ? matches one character; * matches any run of characters. Read every argument in the table once before you type; each one changes the answer on purpose.
How — numbered steps:
- Type =SEARCH("cotton",A2).
- Use the number with MID/LEFT if needed.
- Try wildcards like "cot*".
- Wrap IFERROR for missing words.
- Prefer FIND when case must match exactly (passwords, codes).
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, use SEARCH when users type cotton or Cotton or COTTON in notes.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, notes मध्ये cotton / Cotton / COTTON असेल तर SEARCH वापरा.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, notes में cotton / Cotton / COTTON हो तो SEARCH इस्तेमाल करो.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, sleep on SEARCH and rebuild example 1 tomorrow without looking. That five-minute test beats rereading the whole page.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, SEARCH वर एक रात्र झोपा आणि उद्या उदाहरण 1 न पाहता पुन्हा लिहा. पाच मिनिटांची ही चाचणी पूरे पृष्ठ वाचण्यापेक्षा जास्त मदत करते.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, SEARCH पर एक रात सोकर कल उदाहरण 1 बिना देखे फिर लिखो. पाँच मिनट का यह टेस्ट पूरा पेज पढ़ने से ज़्यादा मदद करता है.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip
Friends, after you finish SEARCH, open yesterday’s real workbook and find one place this function would have saved ten minutes. That habit turns lessons into salary skills.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – मराठी
मित्रांनो, SEARCH शिकून झाल्यावर कालची खरी वर्कबुक उघडा आणि शोधा जिथे हे फंक्शन दहा मिनिटे वाचवू शकले असते. ही सवय धड्यांना पगाराची कौशल्ये बनवते.
Ravindra Bagale's Tip – हिंदी
दोस्तों, SEARCH सीखने के बाद कल की असली वर्कबुक खोलो और ढूँढो जहाँ यह फ़ंक्शन दस मिनट बचा सकता था. यही आदत पाठ को सैलरी स्किल बनाती है.
Download practice file: practice-search.xlsx (includes sheet About this data, practice sheets, and Answers).
Worked examples
1) Case-insensitive
Surat notes.
| Note |
|---|
| Soft Cotton shirt |
| soft cotton shirt |
Result: 6
What it means: Finds Cotton ignoring case.
2) Wildcard *
Leeds titles.
| Title |
|---|
| Blue cotton tee |
| Red wool hat |
Result: 6
What it means: cot* matches cotton.
3) Not found
Missing word.
| Note |
|---|
| Silk scarf |
Result: #VALUE!
What it means: No match.
4) With IFERROR
Flag presence.
| Note |
|---|
| Soft Cotton shirt |
| Silk scarf |
Result: 6
What it means: Number if found (or No on silk row).
5) start_num
Skip prefix.
| Code |
|---|
| XX-cotton-41 |
Result: 4
What it means: Search begins at 4.
6) vs FIND
FIND would fail on case.
| Note |
|---|
| Cotton |
Result: 1
What it means: SEARCH succeeds where FIND("cotton") would #VALUE!.
Common errors and fixes
Notes and tips
- SEARCH ignores case.
- Wildcards: ? one char, * many.
- FIND when case must match.
- Catalogue teams in Surat and Leeds type casually. SEARCH powers simple 'contains' checks before FILTER was common.
- SEARCH vs FIND: case and wildcards. SEARCH vs XLOOKUP wildcards: different tools — SEARCH returns a position.
- Fictional sample data only — practice amounts and names are made for learning.
- After the 10 tasks, re-read the errors table once.
- Say the business question in plain words before you type equals.
- Keep a scrap sheet for experiments so you do not overwrite class files.
- Fill formulas down only after the first row looks correct.
- When two answers look possible, write both on paper then test in Excel.
- SEARCH powers contains-checks in catalogue notes. Contrast it with FIND on Cotton vs cotton in the same minute. Wildcards deserve a tiny demo, not a chapter of theory.
- Revisit the SEARCH errors table after the quiz — most classroom mistakes are listed there.
- Build one brand-new example on a blank sheet from memory before you close the laptop.
- If a result looks wrong, check spaces with LEN and case with exact equals before changing the formula.
- Share one tip from this page with a classmate in Marathi or Hindi — teaching locks the idea.
- Keep currency symbols consistent inside a single report column even when practice mixes ₹ $ £ € across examples.
- When Excel versions differ at home and in class, write the fallback formula under the modern one in a comment cell.
- Print the revision card for SEARCH and stick it near your monitor for one week of real worksheets.
- When helping a junior, ask them to predict the result before pressing Enter — prediction builds judgement.
- Keep a personal notebook of the one mistake you make most often with this function; review it monthly.
In real work
Catalogue teams in Surat and Leeds type casually. SEARCH powers simple 'contains' checks before FILTER was common. SEARCH powers contains-checks in catalogue notes. Contrast it with FIND on Cotton vs cotton in the same minute. Wildcards deserve a tiny demo, not a chapter of theory. Classroom drill: write three brand-new SEARCH formulas on a blank sheet using names from your own city — if you can invent them without the page open, you own the skill. Then break one formula on purpose (wrong case, wrong start, extra space) and watch the error; recovering from that break is half of interview readiness.
How it compares
SEARCH vs FIND: case and wildcards. SEARCH vs XLOOKUP wildcards: different tools — SEARCH returns a position.
Interview corner
- Case-sensitive?
- No.
- Wildcards?
- Yes — ? and *.
- Not found?
- #VALUE!.
Related functions
Practice tasks (10)
- Task 1. SEARCH cotton in Soft Cotton shirt.Hint: case ignored.
- Task 2. Try cot* wildcard.Hint: star.
- Task 3. IFERROR when missing.Hint: wrap.
- Task 4. Compare FIND vs SEARCH on Cotton.Hint: lowercase find_text.
- Task 5. start_num example on XX-cotton-41.Hint: start 4.
- Task 6. Fill SEARCH for three notes.Hint: fill down.
- Task 7. Explain ? vs *.Hint: one vs many.
- Task 8. Flag Yes/No contains cotton.Hint: IF + SEARCH.
- Task 9. Note one Leeds/Surat use case.Hint: catalogues.
- Task 10. Interview answer: case?Hint: insensitive.
Quick quiz
Answers: Q1=A position number, Q2=Insensitive, Q3=*, Q4=#VALUE!, Q5=FIND (check after you try).
Revision card
Standalone card (no tip or photo strip). QR opens this lesson. Download the PNG and revise offline.
