Area code from a phone number
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Phone |
| 2 | (415) 555-0100 |
Formula: C2: =MID(A2,2,3)
Result: 415
The area code starts at character 2 and is 3 characters long.
Google Sheets function
MID in Google Sheets
MID with worked examples you can test in the live grid. The argument details are in the Excel guide.
In Google Sheets
The arguments and common errors are covered in the MID Excel guide; check the function help in Google Sheets for its own argument list.
Worked examples in Google Sheets
First name after a comma
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Name |
| 2 | Smith, Jane |
Formula: C2: =MID(A2,FIND(", ",A2)+2,50)
Result: Jane
FIND locates the comma, +2 skips the comma and the space, and 50 is simply a generous length.
Year from a code, as a number
| A | |
|---|---|
| 1 | Code |
| 2 | EU-2024-0087 |
Formula: C2: =VALUE(MID(A2,4,4))+1
Result: 2025
MID always returns text; VALUE turns "2024" into a number so +1 works.
Try it
A tiny spreadsheet with example data. Edit the formula or any number and see the result.
Formula in D2: =MID(A5,5,4)
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Text | Other | Result | |
| 2 | Alice Johnson | alice johnson | 2026 | |
| 3 | [email protected] | [email protected] | ||
| 4 | extra spaces | |||
| 5 | SKU-2026-0415 | |||
| 6 | iced coffee, tea, sugar | |||
| 7 | Order 417 shipped |
Result in D2: 2026
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