Check If Cell Contains Specific Text (Case Insensitive)

IntermediateText Manipulation

I want to flag rows that contain the word 'Error' anywhere in the text.

The Formula

=ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Error", A1))

How It Works

1

SEARCH looks for 'Error' and returns a position number (case-insensitive).

2

ISNUMBER returns TRUE if a number is found, and FALSE if not.

💡 Pro Tips

  • • Test the formula with sample data before applying to your entire dataset
  • • Use absolute references ($A$1) when copying formulas to prevent reference errors
  • • Consider error handling with IFERROR() for more robust formulas
  • • Document your formulas with comments for future reference

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Formula Details

Difficulty:Intermediate
Category:Text Manipulation
Steps:2