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SUBSTITUTE.

Replaces occurrences of existing text with new text in a string.

SyntaxArgumentsExampleInteractive SandboxGeneratorCompatibilityFAQRelatedCheat Sheet
Category: Text & Manipulation
ExcelExcel 365Excel 2021Excel 2019Google Sheets

How it works.

SUBSTITUTE replaces specific existing text inside a text string with new text. Useful for replacing hyphens with slashes, removing prefixes, or scrubbing formatting.

Formula syntax.

Standard Excel Notation
=SUBSTITUTE(text, old_text, new_text, [instance_num])
Tip:Arguments wrapped in square brackets [like_this] are optional; all other arguments are required.

Formula arguments.

Every parameter accepted by the SUBSTITUTE function is detailed below.

textRequired

The text containing characters you want to replace.

Example value: A2
old_textRequired

The text substring to replace.

Example value: "-"
new_textRequired

The text to replace old_text with.

Example value: "/"
instance_numOptional

Which occurrence of old_text to replace (omitting replaces all occurrences).

Simple example.

Step-by-Step Scenario

Date Delimiter Normalization

Replace hyphens with forward slashes in date text.

Hyphenated DateFormatted Date
2025-05-20—
2025-12-31—
Applied Formula
=SUBSTITUTE(A2, "-", "/")
Expected Result:2025/05/20

Evaluates SUBSTITUTE over the sample table cells, placing the verified output in cell B2.

Formula generator.

Full Generator Wizard

Customize the argument fields below to generate a tailored SUBSTITUTE formula ready to paste directly into your worksheet.

Generated FormulaReady to copy
=SUBSTITUTE()

Expected result behavior.

Returns "2025/05/20" based on sample evaluation criteria and active cell references.

Sample Output:2025/05/20
Output Type:Text String

Best Practices

  • Remove unwanted characters completely by setting new_text to "": =SUBSTITUTE(A2, "-", "").

Common Mistakes

  • SUBSTITUTE is case-sensitive: searching for "apple" will not match "Apple".
Compatibility Database

Platform & version compatibility.

Verified platform compatibility matrix based on actual spreadsheet calculation engine specifications.

Excel✓
Supported
Excel 365✓
Supported
Excel 2021✓
Supported
Excel 2019✓
Supported
Google Sheets✓
Supported
Microsoft Excel History & Version Availability

Core standard function supported across all modern and legacy Microsoft Excel versions (365, 2021, 2019, 2016, 2013, 2010), as well as Excel for the Web and Mac.

Google Sheets Compatibility Notes

100% compatible with Google Sheets. Uses identical argument order, data types, and standard calculation logic.

Frequently asked questions.

Technical Q&A
Can I use SUBSTITUTE across different worksheets in Excel?↓

Yes. You can reference cells located on other sheets by including the sheet name followed by an exclamation mark, for example: =SUBSTITUTE(Sheet2!A2:A10). If the sheet name contains spaces, enclose it in single quotes: ='Q1 Report'!A2:A10.

What is the most common reason for errors in SUBSTITUTE?↓

SUBSTITUTE is case-sensitive: searching for "apple" will not match "Apple".

Does SUBSTITUTE work identically in Google Sheets?↓

Yes, SUBSTITUTE is supported in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets with standard evaluation behavior.