Text function

Excel SEARCH function

Q: How do I check if a cell contains a word in Excel?

Use =ISNUMBER(SEARCH("word",A2)). It returns TRUE if the word appears anywhere, ignoring case.

Q: How do I search for multiple words in a cell?

Combine tests with OR: =OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("red",A2)),ISNUMBER(SEARCH("blue",A2))).

SEARCH returns the position where one piece of text first appears in another. It ignores upper and lower case and supports wildcards. It is the go-to way to check whether a cell contains a word.

=SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])

Arguments

find_text: The text to look for. You can use ? for one character and * for any run.
within_text: The text or cell to search in.
start_num: Which character to start searching from. Leave it out to start at 1.

SEARCH examples

Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.

	A	B	C
1	Product	Category	Notes
2	Wireless Mouse M220	Accessories	Customer says URGENT replacement
3	Laptop Stand Pro	Furniture	ship with next order
4	USB-C Charger 65W	Power	Urgent: back-ordered

=SEARCH("mouse",A2)
Result: 10
SEARCH ignores case, so "mouse" matches "Mouse" at position 10.
=ISNUMBER(SEARCH("urgent",C4))
Result: TRUE
Returns TRUE because the note contains "Urgent".
=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("urgent",C3)),"Rush","Normal")
Result: Normal
No "urgent" in the note, so the order is "Normal".
=MID(A4,SEARCH(" ",A4)+1,7)
Result: Charger
SEARCH finds the first space, and MID takes the next word: "Charger".

How to use SEARCH

Type =SEARCH( and the text to find, in quotes.
Add a comma and select the cell to search.
Close the bracket to get the position.
Wrap it in ISNUMBER for a TRUE/FALSE "contains" test.

Common SEARCH mistakes

Treating #VALUE! as zero

When nothing is found SEARCH returns #VALUE!. ISNUMBER(SEARCH(...)) turns that into a clean FALSE.

Searching for a real * or ?

Those are wildcards. Put a tilde before them, like "~?", to search for the actual character.

Matching inside other words

SEARCH("art",A2) also matches "Smart" and "party". Add spaces around the word if needed.

SEARCH FAQ

How do I check if a cell contains a word in Excel?

Use =ISNUMBER(SEARCH("word",A2)). It returns TRUE if the word appears anywhere, ignoring case.

Is SEARCH case sensitive in Excel?

No. SEARCH ignores case. Use FIND when case matters.

How do I search for multiple words in a cell?

Combine tests with OR: =OR(ISNUMBER(SEARCH("red",A2)),ISNUMBER(SEARCH("blue",A2))).

Guides that use SEARCH

Related functions

Updated October 31, 2026