How to find and replace text with a formula in Excel
Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,$E$1,$G$1)Use =SUBSTITUTE(A2,"old","new"). It replaces every occurrence of the old text, and the original cell stays unchanged.
- Result on the example
- one result per row in
B2, filled down toB6 - Works in
- Every current version
- Google Sheets
- Same formula
See it work
The formula is already in B2, filled down to B6. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
SUBSTITUTE swaps every copy of the text in E1 for the text in G1. Unlike Ctrl+H, it leaves the original column alone and updates when the inputs change. It is case-sensitive, which is why "gray" in the last row isn't replaced.
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,$E$1,$G$1)Result"Desk lamp - Graphite"
A2"Desk lamp - Gray"The value in A2.
$E$1"Gray"The value in E1.
$G$1"Graphite"The value in G1.
SUBSTITUTE(A2,$E$1,$G$1)"Desk lamp - Graphite"SUBSTITUTE: Replaces matching text.- text
A2"Desk lamp - Gray" - old_text
$E$1"Gray" - new_text
$G$1"Graphite"
- text
In Google Sheets
The same formula works in Google Sheets: =SUBSTITUTE(A2,$E$1,$G$1). We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.
Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =IFERROR(REPLACE(A2,SEARCH($E$1,A2),LEN($E$1),$G$1),A2) | Desk lamp - Graphite, Office chair - Graphite mesh, Monitor arm - Silver…Different result | Case-insensitive: SEARCH finds the text whatever its case and REPLACE swaps it. It replaces only the first match. The last row also becomes "Cable tray - Graphite". |
Common mistakes
- SUBSTITUTE matches inside longer words too: replacing "Gray" also changes "Grayson".
- REPLACE is a different function: it swaps characters at a position, not a piece of text. Use SUBSTITUTE when you know the text.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Find and replace text with a formula
B2, replace the text in E1 with the text in G1, and fill down to B6.Questions
How do I replace several different words?
Nest SUBSTITUTE: =SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A2,"Gray","Graphite"),"Oak","Walnut").
How do I replace only the first occurrence?
Add the instance number: =SUBSTITUTE(A2,$E$1,$G$1,1).
Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.