Arguments
text- The text value to extract from.num_chars- How many characters to return.start_num(optional) - For MID, the position of the first character to return.
LEFT, RIGHT & MID
Extract a fixed number of characters from the start, end, or middle of a text value.
Syntax
=LEFT(text, num_chars) =RIGHT(text, num_chars) =MID(text, start_num, num_chars)=LEFT(A2, 3)Returns: First 3 characters of A2
Useful for codes and prefixes.
=MID(A2, 4, 2)Returns: 2 characters starting at position 4
Pull a slice out of the middle.
Common Errors and Gotchas
- These count characters, not words - combine with FIND/SEARCH to split at a delimiter.
- For splitting columns interactively, the Text to Columns tool is easier.
Does LEFT, RIGHT & MID Work in Google Sheets?
Yes. LEFT, RIGHT & MID uses the same syntax in Google Sheets and LibreOffice Calc, so you can paste these formulas straight across.