Applies ToExcel for Microsoft 365 Excel 2024 Excel 2021 Excel 2019 Excel 2016

Use wildcard characters as comparison criteria for text filters and when you're searching and replacing content. These can also be used in the Conditional Formatting rules that use theĀ "Format cells that contain specific text" criteria.

For more about using wildcard characters with the Find and Replace features in Excel, see Find or replace text and numbers on a worksheet.

Use

To find

? (question mark)

Any single character For example, sm?th finds "smith" and "smyth"

* (asterisk)

Any number of characters For example, *east finds "Northeast" and "Southeast"

~ (tilde) followed by ?, *, or ~

A question mark, asterisk, or tilde For example, fy06~? finds "fy06?"

Need more help?

Want more options?

Explore subscription benefits, browse training courses, learn how to secure your device, and more.

Communities help you ask and answer questions, give feedback, and hear from experts with rich knowledge.