Text Manipulationbeginner
Replace specific text with SUBSTITUTE
=SUBSTITUTE(A2,"-","")
Function reference
SUBSTITUTE in Excel & Google Sheets
SUBSTITUTE is used in 1 formula pattern in this library. Browse worked examples below, or use the generator to build a custom variation for your specific data.
1 beginnerBuild a custom SUBSTITUTE formula →
When to use SUBSTITUTE
- Remove dashes from phone numbers, replace a misspelled product name across a column, or swap a delimiter character.
Worked examples (1)
Common errors with SUBSTITUTE
SUBSTITUTE is case-sensitive
SUBSTITUTE("Hello","hello","Hi") returns "Hello" unchanged because the capitalisation does not match. Match the exact case or use LOWER/UPPER first.
Only want to replace the first occurrence
Add a fourth argument of 1 to replace only the first match — for example, SUBSTITUTE(A2,"o","0",1).
Frequently asked questions
How is SUBSTITUTE different from REPLACE?
SUBSTITUTE finds specific text regardless of position. REPLACE operates on a fixed character position and length regardless of content.
Need a custom variation?
Describe your specific SUBSTITUTE problem and get a formula written for your exact data.
Open generator with SUBSTITUTE