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Excel - Mastering Excel's Find Function: How to Find Numbers with Ease - Episode 522

337 views · Published 21 August 2009 · 2:39 · Indexed 20 September 2026

Channel: MrExcel.com · 2009 · Education

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Microsoft Excel Tutorial - Mastering Excel's Find Function: How to Find Numbers with Ease.

Welcome back to the MrExcel netcast! In today's episode, we'll be discussing a common issue that many Excel users face when trying to find numbers using the "Edit Find" function. As we all know, Excel is a powerful tool for managing data, and a large portion of our cells contain values, formulas, or numbers in some form. However, it can be frustrating when the "Edit Find" function doesn't seem to work properly.

For example, if we search for the number 800 using "Edit Find," it will only find the first instance of 800 in the range. When we click "Find Next," it tells us that there are no other instances of 800, even though we can clearly see one in cell E2. So, what's going on? Well, it turns out that we need to use the "Options" button and specify that we want to search in values, not just formulas.

By default, Excel searches in formulas, which means that the cell must contain a formula that directly references the number we are searching for. This can be frustrating and time-consuming, but by changing the search option to values, we can easily find all instances of a number in a range. However, there is one more thing to keep in mind when searching for numbers in Excel.

If the data in our range is formatted with a thousands separator (such as a comma), we need to include that separator when searching for a number. For example, if we want to find the number 2,500, we need to search for "2,500" instead of just "2500." This may seem like a small detail, but it can make a big difference in finding the correct results.

So, to summarize, when searching for numbers in Excel, make sure to use the "Options" button and select "Values" instead of "Formulas." Also, be aware of the number format applied to the range and include any separators or symbols (such as a dollar sign) when searching for a number. I hope this tip helps you save time and frustration in your future Excel projects. Thanks for watching, and don't forget to tune in for more helpful netcasts from MrExcel!

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Table of Contents:
(00:00) Introduction 
(00:17) Issue with finding numbers in Excel 
(00:31) Using edit find to search for 800 
(00:43) Frustration with not finding all instances of 800 
(00:58) Solution: changing options to search in values 
(01:26) Difficulty in finding 2,500 or 2,600 
(01:50) Need to include thousands separator when searching 
(02:19) Clicking Like really helps the algorithm

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This video answers these common search terms:
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Excel Tutorial:
The Find command seems to work perfectly with text, but always has problems with finding numeric values. It is possible to find numbers with the Find command in Excel, but you have to know some fairly arcane steps. Episode 522 shows you how.

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