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In this article
REGEXEXTRACT returns the part of text that matches a pattern — invoice numbers, phone numbers, amounts buried in narration.
Syntax
=REGEXEXTRACT(text, pattern, [return_mode], [case_sensitivity])| Argument | What it means |
|---|---|
return_mode |
0 first match, 1 all matches, 2 capture groups. |
Examples
Example 1
=REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "INV-\d+")Invoice number from a bank narration line.
Example 2
=REGEXEXTRACT(A2, "[6-9]\d{9}")A 10-digit Indian mobile number.
REGEXEXTRACT in practice
Where you will use it
- Pull a 10-digit mobile number from text
- Extract PAN or GSTIN
- Get order IDs from emails
Worked example
| Text | Formula | Result |
|---|---|---|
| Call 9876543210 now | =REGEXEXTRACT(A2,"[6-9]\d{9}") | 9876543210 |
| PAN: ABCDE1234F | =REGEXEXTRACT(A3,"[A-Z]{5}\d{4}[A-Z]") | ABCDE1234F |
| Order #A-1045 shipped | =REGEXEXTRACT(A4,"A-\d+") | A-1045 |
Worked out step by step, not calculated here: REGEXEXTRACT needs the latest Microsoft 365.
Mistakes people make
| Mistake | What to do instead |
|---|---|
| Escaping | \d means a digit; . means any character |
| No match | #N/A; wrap in IFNA |
Related functions
REGEXTEST · TEXTBEFORE · MID
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📎 Practice files for this article
- 📗Practice workbook: Text & cleaning24 tasks on realistic sales data — type your formula, the Check column turns green when it is right. Answers sheet included.⬇ XLSX · 35 KB
Free to use for learning. Files with macros (.bas) are plain text — import them with Alt+F11 → File → Import File, and always test on a copy.
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