Function reference

TRIM in Excel & Google Sheets

TRIM 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 TRIM formula →

When to use TRIM

Clean up imported data where names, product codes, or addresses have inconsistent spacing that breaks VLOOKUP matches or pivot groupings.

Worked examples (1)

Data Cleaningbeginner

Remove extra spaces from text with TRIM

=TRIM(A2)

Open formula TRIM reference

Common errors with TRIM

TRIM does not remove all spaces

TRIM removes standard spaces (ASCII 32) but not non-breaking spaces (ASCII 160) common in web-pasted data. Use SUBSTITUTE(TRIM(A2),CHAR(160),"") to handle both.

Numbers are affected unexpectedly

TRIM always returns a text string. If the source cell is a number with extra formatting, the result may be stored as text. Use VALUE(TRIM(A2)) to convert back to a number.

Frequently asked questions

How do I clean an entire column at once?

Add a helper column with =TRIM(A2), copy it down, copy the results, and paste-as-values over the original column. Then delete the helper column.

Need a custom variation?

Describe your specific TRIM problem and get a formula written for your exact data.

Open generator with TRIM