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How to extract text before / after the second space or comma in Excel? 

In Excel, the Text To Columns function may help you to extract each text from one cell into separate cells by space, comma or other delimiters, but, have you ever tried to extract the text before or after the second space or comma from a cell in Excel as following screenshot shown? This article, I will talk about some methods to deal with this task.

doc extract before second space 1

Extract text before the second space or comma with formula

Extract text after the second space or comma with formula

Split Cell values into multiple columns and rows by specific separator:
With Kutools for Excel’s Split Cells utility, you can quickly split text string in a cell into multiple columns or rows by space, comma, new line and any other separators you specified.
doc split cells-1-1

arrow blue right bubble Extract text before the second space or comma with formula

To get the text before the second space, please apply the following formula:

Enter this formula: =IF(ISERROR(FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,1)+1)),A2,LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,1)+1))) into a blank cell where you want to locate the result, C2, for example, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells that you want to contain this formula, and all the text before the second space has been extracted from each cell, see screenshot:

doc extract before second space 2

Note: If you want to extract the text before the second comma or other separators, please just replace the space in the formula with comma or other delimiters as you need. Such as: =IF(ISERROR(FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1)),A2,LEFT(A2,FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1))).

arrow blue right bubble Extract text after the second space or comma with formula

To return the text after the second space, the following formula can help you.

Please enter this formula: =MID(A2, FIND(" ", A2, FIND(" ", A2)+1)+1,256) into a blank cell to locate the result, and then drag the fill handle down to the cells to fill this formula, and all the text after the second space has been extracted at once, see screenshot:

doc extract before second space 3

Note: If you want to extract the text after the second comma or other separators, you just need to replace the space with comma or other delimiters in the formula as you need. Such as: =MID(A2, FIND(",", A2, FIND(",", A2)+1)+1,256).

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  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    demo · 8 months ago
    how do I do this from right to left. Basically, want to extract last two words.
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      skyyang · 5 months ago
      Hi, demo,
      To extract and return the last two words from text strings, please apply the below formula:
      =IF((LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1," ","")))<2,A1,RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND("/",SUBSTITUTE(A1," ","/",(LEN(A1)-LEN(SUBSTITUTE(A1," ",""))-1)))))

      Please try, hope it can help you!
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Alessandro · 1 years ago
    THANK YOU!!!
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Tiki · 1 years ago
    Is there a way to extract various pieces of this string? 123ABC.01.02.03.04 ---- for example, to pull the 123ABC, and then in the next column pull 123ABC.01, and then 123ABC.01.02, then 123ABC.01.02.03, and so on.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    archiplanner · 1 years ago
    Hi, is there a way, if I want to select text after 3rd comma from the end?
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      skyyang · 1 years ago
      Hi, Archi,
      To extract all text after the 3rd comma, please apply this formula:
      =RIGHT(A1,LEN(A1)-FIND("@@@",SUBSTITUTE(A1,",","@@@",3)))

      Please try it.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Dave · 2 years ago
    =IF(ISERROR(FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1)),A2,LEFT(A2,FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1)))
    That will return all text left of the second comma plus the second comma. This should be

    =IF(ISERROR(FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1)),A2,LEFT(A2,FIND(",",A2,FIND(",",A2,1)+1)-1))
    to omit the second comma

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    2. Derrius Guice, RB, LSU
    3. Sony Michel, RB, Georgia
    4. Ronald Jones II, RB, USC
    5. Nick Chubb, RB, Georgia

    Bad:
    1. Saquon Barkley, RB,
    2. Derrius Guice, RB,
    3. Sony Michel, RB,
    4. Ronald Jones II, RB,

    Better:
    1. Saquon Barkley, RB
    2. Derrius Guice, RB
    3. Sony Michel, RB
    4. Ronald Jones II, RB
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      Ron · 11 months ago
      But this won't work if the text string does NOT always have a second comma...
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Rodney · 2 years ago
    How would you change this to the 3rd comma? Instead of the 2nd?
    • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
      skyyang · 2 years ago
      Hello,Rodney,
      To extract the text before the 3rd space, please apply this formula:
      =IF(ISERROR(FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,1)+1) +1)),A2,LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,FIND(" ",A2,1)+1) + 1)));
      To extract the text after the 3rd space, please use this formula:
      =MID(A2, FIND(" ", A2,FIND(" ", A2, FIND(" ", A2)+1) +1)+1,30000)
      Please try it, hope it can help you!
      Thanks!
      • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
        Tushar · 2 months ago
        Thank you! This was tremendously helpful
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Guni · 2 years ago
    Hi, this formula will be ideal for but instead of removing text after second space i want remove everything after 3rd i have been trying insert 3rd FIND(" ",A2 i understand that the formula itself is =FIND(" ",X13,1). can you please help me out. I am not good with nesting the formulas.

    Thank you very much.