Replace() Function

December 2, 2020
Text Function

Replace replaces part of a text string, based on the number of characters you specify, with a different text string.

Syntax

The syntax for the REPLACE function in Microsoft Excel is:

=REPLACE( old_text, start_num, num_chars, new_text )

Parameters or Arguments

old_text

The original string value.

start_num

The position in old_text to begin replacing characters.

num_chars

The number of characters to replace in old_text.

new_text

The replacement set of characters.

Replace Function Examples

Column B of the following spreadsheet shows two examples of the Excel Replace Function.

Formulas:

Results:

Common Error

You get an error from the Excel Replace function if

  • The supplied start_num argument is negative or is a non-numeric value
  • The supplied num_chars argument is negative or is non-numeric.

The Excel Replace function is designed for use with text strings and returns a text string. Therefore, if you attempt to use the replace function with a date, time or a number, you may get unexpected results.

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Text Functions