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SUBSTITUTE – Excel Function | Blake Ekelund
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SUBSTITUTE
SUBSTITUTE
Replace specific text within a string.
Intermediate
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Syntax
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Examples
Common Issues
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Syntax
=SUBSTITUTE(text, old_text, new_text, [instance_num])
Example Use Cases
Replace dashes with spaces
Remove symbols
Replace only the first occurrence
Common Issues
SUBSTITUTE only replaces exact matches
Users forget instance_num when replacing specific occurrences
Case sensitivity causes missed replacements
Pro Tips
Use SUBSTITUTE to remove unwanted symbols before TRIM or CLEAN
Great for removing dashes in phone numbers or IDs
Use instance_num to target specific matches
Related Functions in TEXT & FORMATTING
Beginner Functions
Function
Use Case
Syntax
LEN
Count the number of characters in a text string.
=LEN(text)
CLEAN
Remove non-printable characters from imported or messy text.
=CLEAN(text)
Intermediate Functions
Function
Use Case
Syntax
TEXT
Format numbers, dates, or times as text using custom formatting.
=TEXT(value, format_text)
FIND
Locate the position of a character or substring in text.
=FIND(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
