Excel if asterisk formula. Select the lookup value cell reference.

Excel if asterisk formula The third table shows an array formula that matches the shape. This will prevent Excel from interpreting it as a wildcard character. Master asterisk symbol in Excel for efficient formulas and data searches. Learn how to use wildcard characters in Excel to save time when working with formulas. Bot VerificationVerifying that you are not a robot May 18, 2023 · Explanation The goal of this formula is to verify whether the values in column B follow the format xx-xxxx-xxx, where "x" represents any single character. Feb 20, 2025 · The asterisk (*) in Excel is most famous for one thing: multiplication. And a tilde (~). Filtering for “*eck” provided us with all results that ends with “eck”. Learn what =, $, #, @, , and & mean with clear examples. Master its roles as a multiplication operator and wildcard to enhance your data analysis skills. Read on to find all the methods you’ll ever need to find and remove asterisks from Excel. In the screenshot below, G2 contains the following formula: =IF (F2=”Order * “,”Y”,”N”) In other words, if F2 starts with the word Order and Sep 18, 2024 · Excel Wildcard characters and Examples As we mentioned above, wildcards only work with text. These can also be used in the Conditional Formatting rules that use the "Only format cells that contain specific text" criteria. So, the formula only matches the classification text in the cell and the asterisk works as the rest of the characters. Excel: Use Find to Find an Asterisk This page is an advertiser-supported excerpt of the book, Power Excel 2010-2013 from MrExcel - 567 Excel Mysteries Solved. A question mark (?) matches exactly one character. In this guide, we're going to show you how to use Wildcard criteria in Excel formulas. Mar 7, 2025 · The asterisk character allows you to multiply numbers and boolean values in an Excel formula. Am I using it wrong or is there a different wildcard I should use? “CSFUT” <> “ FUT ” Edit: the asterisks aren’t appearing in the post, it’s italicizing the word instead. If you like this topic, please consider buying the entire e-book. Nov 18, 2014 · Microsoft Excel uses the tilde (~) as a marker to indicate that the next character is a literal. chatGPT, BARD, GPT4 etc) to create forum answers is not permitted. Counting asterisks can help identify errors or inconsistencies in data entry. I can't understand the function this asterisk is exercising here. Learn how to use the wildcard characters in Excel with real example formulas and practice exercises. It always works like a charm, but, this year I've added two new categories "P-8" and "T-8" (the number 8 can range from 1-8, hence why i'm trying to use the asterisk) and it's not working with the asterisk. By adding asterisks to the beginning and end of your criteria string, for example, =COUNTIF (B:B,"*dog*"), this will count all cells that 'include' the word 'dog' anywhere within the cell, such as 'dog jackets' or 'reversible dog coats'. This means that when you use an asterisk between two or more values in a formula, Excel will multiply those values together to produce a result. Remove asterisk (*) symbol In Excel is a little tricky as it's a wildcard character and you cannot just use fine and replace to remove an ace risk symbol. Insert the following function: Jan 6, 2022 · Excel Wildcard 2 – Asterisk (*) The asterisk symbol represents any number of characters prior or after the asterisk. Aug 30, 2024 · 1. May 14, 2024 · To perform a partial (wildcard) match against numbers, you can use an array formula based on the MATCH function and the TEXT function. g. Here are some examples. In the above formula, we have combined the product name with an asterisk wildcard character sum values for each product. '*'). The Wildcards: Asterisk (*) and Question Mark (?) There are two wildcards in Excel, and knowing their purpose is crucial to understanding how Inserting asterisks as text: If you want to insert an asterisk as regular text in a cell, you can do so by typing a single quotation mark before the asterisk (e. Learn powerful tips and tricks to enhance your spreadsheets today. And yes, the asterisk can help here too! By using it in formulas for conditional formatting, you can highlight cells that meet specific criteria. Jan 11, 2023 · This tutorial explains how to search for an asterisk in a cell in Excel, including an example. So if you have the data (text): 747, 747-100, 747-200 the formula COUNTIF (range,"747*") will return 2, instead of 3. The left side of this formula piece is a cell reference. Instead, we can combine the IF function with the COUNTIF function, which does support wildcards. Discover practical examples using *, ?, and ~ in filtering, VLOOKUP (), and more. Explore basics, alternatives, uses, filtration, and troubleshooting. If you have numeric values, use logical operators in the formula. These rules apply to everyone for the benefit of all, please take a moment now to In this formula, you have combined classification text from the cell with an asterisk. Oct 11, 2019 · I use this formula to search in other tables for multiple types of values. Aug 31, 2011 · You could simply use a wildcard (an asterisk, *, is a wildcard in Excel) in your COUNTIF formula like this: =COUNTIF(A5:A9,"*apples*") Your result will be 4. Select the lookup value cell reference. The asterisk symbol denotes the occurrence of zero or more characters, while the question mark symbol signifies the presence of only a single character. Read more here. But what if there was a way to simplify this process, making The formula =COUNTIF (B:B,"dog") will count the number of cells in column B that have the word 'dog'. The tilde character, on the other hand, is used to denote a wildcard Mar 14, 2023 · Everything you need to know about wildcards: what wildcard characters Excel recognizes, and how to best use them with built-in features and in formulas with text and numbers. There are three wildcards in Excel: the asterisk, question mark, and tilde. Feb 20, 2025 · Ever found yourself tangled in Excel formulas, wondering how on earth to make sense of those cryptic symbols? You’re not alone. Aug 6, 2023 · If you’ve ever tried to use Excel’s IF function with a wildcard, you’ll know that it doesn’t work. For more about using wildcard characters with the Find and Replace features in Excel, see Find or replace text and numbers on a worksheet. Among these features is the humble asterisk (*), a symbol that plays a crucial role in formulas. The IF function doesn't support wildcards directly, so we can't use IF by itself. Failed Function Option I went to an empty cell and inserted =C2&"*". Jun 6, 2025 · Do you struggle to make sense of symbols in Excel formula? Whether you’re just starting out or you’re a seasoned pro, understanding these symbols is the key to unlocking Excel’s full potential. Jan 18, 2023 · To sum numbers when corresponding cells contain an asterisk (*), you can use the SUMIFS function with criteria that uses the tilde (~) as an escape character. The second table shows an array formula that matches the color. Jan 8, 2025 · Unlock faster results in Excel with 7 asterisk hacks, leveraging wildcard characters, syntax, and functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX-MATCH, and SUMIFS for efficient data analysis and manipulation, streamlining your workflow with expert formula techniques. Simplify your data cleanup process and enhance your spreadsheet accuracy today! Aug 19, 2018 · I have formatted the Pivot Table to also display 'Currency'. Asterisk * - The Wildcard for Any Number of Characters The asterisk is a wildcard used in text-based formulas like COUNTIF or SEARCH. There are many symbols you can use when you try to write a formula in excel. They represent non-specified characters to help you locate text values with "fuzzy" matches. An asterisk (*) matches zero or more characters. Our goal with this article is to help you spend less time wrestling with formulas and more time making data-driven decisions that matter. Available Wildcards in Excel Excel has three wildcards you can use in your formulas: Asterisk (*) Question mark (?) Tilde (~) The asterisk represents zero, one, or more characters, the question mark represents any single character, and the tilde is used as an escape character for literal characters such as ~* for a literal asterisk, ~? for a literal question mark, or ~~ for a literal tilde May 9, 2023 · Asterisks in Excel represent text that is not recognized as a number or a formula. . Jul 24, 2024 · Discover how to efficiently remove asterisks in Excel with our step-by-step guide. But hiding behind that simple function is a powerful capability that can completely change how you search, sum, and analyze your data. This is an array formula and must be entered with Control To sum if cells contain an asterisk, you can use the SUMIF function with the special “escape” character “~”. You can use the COUNTIF or SUMPRODUCT functions to count cells with the asterisks. Each of them has its unique functions and you most probably need more than one symbol to complete your writing. I will in this article demonstrate when you can use the asterisk character. Feb 12, 2025 · Learn how to search for literal asterisks in Excel. Feb 20, 2025 · Discover how to effectively use the asterisk in Excel formulas. Excel wildcards Aug 23, 2016 · After I wrote the formula, which you can see enclosed here, Excel offered me to correct a typo it had found and add an asterisk before the AND formula. In the example shown, the formula in E6 is: =MATCH ("*"&E5&"*",TEXT (data,"0"),0) where data is the named range B5:B15. Wildcards with IF function explained here with examples. There are three Excel wildcard characters (asterisk, question mark, and tilde) that can get some amazing stuff done in Excel. When you use the Find and Replace dialog box to find or replace a character such as a tilde (~), an asterisk (*), or a question mark (?), you must add a tilde (~) before the character in the Find what box. That's WRONG. Aug 8, 2025 · Learn how to filter Excel data that contains an asterisk (*) and wildcard characters. Mar 14, 2023 · The tutorial shows how to make Excel IF statement with wildcard text and get it to work for partial matches. 2. Download our practice workbook for free, and exercise! Jul 3, 2024 · This article discusses three methods for using SUMIFS with a wildcard in Excel, as well as three other options. Asterisk (*) The asterisk character means any number of characters in the world of a wildcard search. Learning to use the asterisk as a wildcard character unlocks more advanced and flexible formulas. May 26, 2024 · How to Use the Asterisk (*) Wildcard in Excel Formulas The asterisk wildcard is useful when you want to match a specific text pattern that may have any number of characters before or after it. Write the VLOOKUP function. Aug 9, 2019 · The definitive guide and cheat sheet to every symbol and operator used in Excel formulas. It stands for any number of characters. 3. In the example shown, cell G6 contains this formula: =SUMIFS(C5:C16,B5:B16,"*~**") This formula sums the Price in column C when the Item name in column B contains an asterisk ("*"). May 30, 2025 · Learn how Excel's wildcard characters enhance flexibility in search, replace, and formula logic. In this tutorial, you will learn about the list of symbols in the excel formula that you can use. By knowing what are they and their functions, you should be better equipped to process data in excel using Incorporating asterisk in complex excel functions When working with complex excel functions, the asterisk serves as the multiplication operator. Aug 12, 2024 · 4 Different Methods to Find and Replace Asterisk (*) Character in Excel. What do I mean by a wildcard? The most commonly-used wildcard is the asterisk (*) which represents “zero or more characters”. Jun 30, 2024 · Method 1 – Using the COUNTIF Function to Count If a Cell Contains Any Text in Excel Steps: Select Cell D17 to store the count result. Mar 26, 2019 · Become an Excel wildcard wizard with our comprehensive guide! Learn how to master wildcard characters in Excel for efficient data analysis. Mar 14, 2023 · Contrarily, if you need to search and replace unwanted asterisks in a large Excel worksheet, you need to use specialized formulas. The * should be any characters, including no characters. Excel has 3 wildcards. Then type an asterisk (*) into the Find What field, and click Find All. Use wildcard characters as comparison criteria for text filters and when you're searching and replacing content. This guide will walk you through both uses of the asterisk and demonstrate how you can Entering the formula using SUMIF, tilde ~ and asterisk * Important Notes “*~**” is the criteria; the asterisks in both sides ensure to include all cells containing an asterisk, no matter where the asterisk is in a cell. Enter an ampersand sign and an asterisk sign. Oct 31, 2023 · To search for an asterisk in a cell in Excel, press CTRL+F to open the Find and Replace dialogue box. An asterisk in Excel is a wildcard representing characters. Excel can be both a blessing and a curse, with its powerful features hidden behind a veil of complexity. Example: If you want to count how many product names contain “Apple” anywhere in this list: Apr 29, 2024 · Learn the Excel SUMIF function tutorial, including syntax, how to use it with various examples, and what to do if the formula is not working. Wildcards with IF function is used to find phrases in Excel. In the example shown, cell G6 contains this formula: Guide to Wildcard In Excel. Using asterisks in formulas: Asterisks can be used in formulas for multiplication. Aug 30, 2024 · An asterisk with an “e” tells the Excel filter to show every value with an “e” at the end. So, when SUMIF matches the criteria from the invoice column it takes the characters before the asterisk and replaces the rest of the characters. To illustrate, filtering the data set above for “J*ck” provides all results where the name started with “J” and ended with “ck”. Wildcards are special characters used in Excel that replace other characters in a formula. This guide provides steps to filter and manage data effectively. Apr 18, 2024 · Explore what does asterisk mean in Excel formula with the practical applications of its usage and the best practice of asterisk. I have an asterisk on either side of the “fut” inside the quotes. Irrespective of the number of characters that come before “e”. Is it a wildcard or multiplication sign? I googled it and tried to glean info from different sites, but to no avail. Discover tips to find, count, and filter special characters easily with our step-by-step guide. This will search the entire sheet and list all the cells that contain an asterisk. Notice that the wildcard search is not case sensitive and it will count any instance of the word, even where it’s not a word on its own like in the case of ‘Pineapples’. Here we discuss how to use the three types of wildcards with examples and downloadable excel template. We’ll break down the most common Excel symbols, explain Forum Microsoft Office Application Help - Excel Help forum Excel Formulas & Functions [SOLVED] IF statement with a Wildcard not working, workaround? The use of AI tools (e. Jun 14, 2016 · The way Excel implements the * wildcard is fundamentally wrong, in my opinion. In Excel, you can use three different wildcards to build a formula. Example: In “ Espresso* ”, the asterisk is the last character but in “ Flat* White ”, the asterisk is in the middle. So, for example, “Ap*” will match “Apple“, “Application May 12, 2025 · Wildcards in Microsoft Excel let you search for partial matches, broaden your filters, and create formulas that reference cells containing certain strings. Nov 28, 2017 · The use of AI tools (e. For the best help attach a sample workbook to your post Attention - ExcelForum Rules have been updated as of August 2023. It can also be used as a wildcard character in quite a few Excel functions. The first table shows the match formula working properly without using an array formula. The result is 7 since the number in B11 (the seventh row in data) contains 99. Feb 20, 2025 · Conditional Formatting with Asterisks Conditional formatting is a powerful feature in Excel that allows you to change the appearance of cells based on their values. Jan 11, 2014 · At the left, column D contains working match formulas for both color and shape in the list of items. Jun 10, 2025 · 1. Discover how to add and use an asterisk in Excel for multiplication, wildcards, and formatting. Jan 6, 2020 · Wildcard represents one or more other characters. What I would like to do now is append an asterisk (*) to certain cells within the 'Bill Amount' column, which would also be presented within the Pivot Table without affecting the maths. But it will not see "no characters". If a user is believed to have used such tools to provide a forum answer, sanctions may be imposed.