RIGHT Formula in Excel: Explained

In this article you will learn how to use the RIGHT function in Excel.

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What is the RIGHT formula in Excel?

The RIGHT formula in Excel extracts a specified number of characters from the right side of a text string.

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When is the RIGHT function useful in Excel?

The RIGHT function in Excel is beneficial when you want to manipulate text data in Excel and can save a lot of time and effort when working with large data sets. Below are a few scenarios where the RIGHT function could be used:

1. Extracting a specific number of characters from the end of a string.
2. Pulling out the file extension from a file name.
3. Taking out the last name from a full name.

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How to use the RIGHT formula in Excel?

The general syntax for the formula is as follows:

<pre><code>=RIGHT(text, [num_chars])</code></pre>

The “text” argument is the text string from which you want to extract characters, and the optional “num_chars” argument specifies the number of characters you want to extract, starting from the right.

Note: The “num_chars” parameter must be equal to or larger than zero. When “num_chars” is larger than the length of a text string, the RIGHT function returns the entire text string. If the “num_chars” argument is left blank, the formula considers that it is 1.

Look at the following examples to understand the RIGHT function better.

In this example, C2 contains "apple tree," and the formula would return "ree".

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Finally, note that the RIGHT function is case-sensitive, as shown in the screenshot below. So, “liveflow” and “LiveFlow” are considered different by the RIGHT function.

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You can learn about other Excel and Google Sheets formulas and tips that are not mentioned here on this page: LiveFlow‘s How to Guides