EXCEL TUTORIAL · FREE TOOLS
Contents
LEFT, RIGHT & MID Formula Builder
Free online tool · No signup · Runs in your browser
Build a text extraction formula with validated cell references, character lengths and MID start positions.
Your data stays in this browser tool. No account or upload to a processing service required.
Instructions
- Choose LEFT, RIGHT or MID.
- Enter a text cell, length and (for MID) a 1-based start position.
- Choose comma or semicolon separators, build, then copy or download.
Understanding your result
LEFT(A2,3) extracts the first three characters from A2. MID starts at the position you choose, counted from 1. The builder supplies formula text, so try it against a short value and a longer value in your actual workbook.
What to do if you have a problem
If Excel gives an unexpected substring, check start and length rather than changing the source text. Supply a single supported A1 cell reference. Unicode characters can be counted differently under Excel compatibility settings, so test any text containing emoji or combined characters.
What to know before using the result
Generates a formula without evaluating it. Length is 0–32767 and MID start 1–32767. Supports single A1 references and optional sheet prefixes. These functions work in older Excel versions; Unicode counting may vary with compatibility settings.
These tools work with pasted text or supported CSV files rather than Excel workbook files. CSV exports contain values and do not preserve workbook formatting, formulas or multiple worksheets. Formula builders produce formula text to use in Excel. Data processing runs in the browser tool.
Try an example
=LEFT(A2,3)
Summary
Paste the extraction formula into Excel and check that its position and length select the intended characters.