When using Excel’s Find function, you may sometimes search for text/ number that you know is in the worksheet, but Excel returns a “cannot find” message. This issue is often caused by a setting within the Find and Replace tool that restricts how Excel matches the search term.
Table of contents
YouTube: FIND the whole cell versus parts within the cell
Checking the ‘Match entire cell contents’ setting
If your search term is not being found, one of the first things to check is whether the Match entire cell contents option is enabled. In the example below, we searched for 3877 within a column of numbers but receive an error stating that Excel cannot find it. This happens because there is an extra digit in the actual cell value—38771—but Excel is only looking for an exact match to 3877. Since the full content of the cell does not match the search term exactly, Excel does not return a result, as shown in the image.
Disabling the Match entire cell contents option
To resolve this, open the Find and Replace window by pressing Ctrl + F, enter 3877 in the search box. If Match entire cell contents is checked, uncheck it. This allows Excel to find 3877 even if it is part of a longer number, as demonstrated below. Once unchecked, clicking Find All or Find Next will immediately locate the correct cell/s.
Tips and troubleshooting
- If your search term is still not found, double-check for hidden spaces or special characters in the cell.
- Ensure that your search settings are looking in Values rather than Formulas or Notes if applicable.
- If searching for numbers, confirm that the cells are not formatted as text, which can sometimes prevent proper matching.
- Using wildcards like ? for single characters or * for multiple characters can help locate partial matches when needed.