LiveFlow raises $13.5 million Series A led by New York-based Valar Ventures and launches LiveFlow Next to revolutionize accounting!
Read More
Arrow
Back to guides
Google Sheets Formulas

LEFT Function in Google Sheets: Explained

In this article, you will learn how to use the LEFT function in Google Sheets.

How to Use the LEFT formula in Google Sheets

  • Type “=LEFT(” or go to “Insert” “Function” “TEXT”“LEFT”

  • Select a text by cell reference or manual input for “string

  • Define how many letters the formula pull out from the begging of the text string by entering value at “number_of_characters

How to insert the LEFT function in Google Sheets

The generic syntax is as follows:

=LEFT(string, [number_of_characters])

Look at the examples in the picture below. The top table shows how the LEFT function works and the second one shows how you can use the formula to clean up a data set.

How to use the LEFT function in Google Sheets with examples

As you can see at the upper table, you can pull out characters from a text, a number and a date. This function is beneficial especially when you have a list of items with a specific number of code or words with a specific number of letters, and you want to extract them as independent values..

Why spend hours creating spreadsheets, when we have already done the work for you?
100+ financial spreadsheet templates, all free and ready for you now.
Free Spreadsheet Templates

How do you use the RIGHT function in Google Sheets?

You can use the RIGHT function in the similar way with the LEFT function. Learn how to use the RIGHT function in Google Sheets here: How to Use RIGHT Function in Google Sheets

How do you align left and right text in Google Docs?

Go to this page to learn how to align texts in Google Sheets: How to Align Text in Google Sheets.

Learn how LiveFlow can save you hours a month on financial reporting!
Just 30 minutes can change the way your business operates forever.
Book a Demo


Learn how to do this step-by-step in the video below 👇

Automate financial reporting with LiveFlow

Cta Photo

Want to eliminate manual updates of your Excel & Google Sheets models?

Yes, show me how!

Get personal help

We guarantee you personal help on chat or Zoom within maximum 6 hours between 9am and 10pm EST.
Blue Tick
Email us at: help@liveflow.io

Liked this article? Then you'll love the ones below

Supercharge your financial reporting today

See LiveFlow in action and discover how to streamline your workflows.