Excel: Find a word - how to use the search function

Often data sets in Microsoft Excel consist of both numbers and words or letters. Therefore, especially in large documents, it can be difficult to find a specific record. Learn what options you have to search your Excel document for words.

How to search your Excel document

If you are looking for a specific word in Excel, this can quickly become a tedious task, especially with large data sets. However, Excel has a search function that can help you conveniently search for a word or even a whole group of words.Follow these steps to use the search function:

1. Open the Excel file you want to search.
2. Press the [CTRL] and [F] keys to open the Find and Replace dialog.
3. Select the "Search" tab in the new window.
4. Enter "Search for" or the words you want to search for in the input field.
5. Click the "Options..." button and specify which search range Excel should consider and whether it should be case-sensitive.
6. To start the search, click the "Search All" option. The search results are then displayed as a list with the exact location. If you click on a result, it will be highlighted for you in the workbook.

Replace content - this is how it works

Using the "Replace" tab, you have the option to replace found search terms in the workbook with a new content specified by you. Besides text, both functions can also handle digits.