[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”4.16″ global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content” da_is_popup=”off” da_exit_intent=”off” da_has_close=”on” da_alt_close=”off” da_dark_close=”off” da_not_modal=”on” da_is_singular=”off” da_with_loader=”off” da_has_shadow=”on” da_disable_devices=”off|off|off”][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”4.16″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”4.16″ custom_padding=”|||” global_colors_info=”{}” custom_padding__hover=”|||” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Google Sheets is a powerful and versatile tool that you can use with different types of data, including text. When working with text, you\u2019re likely interested in more than just matching string literals (exact strings of characters). Fortunately, a regular expression – regex – allows you to search for abstract patterns in text.<\/p>\n
Nowadays, regular expressions are very widely supported, not just in programming languages but also in text editors and text processing programs, as well as many other programs. Google Sheets has three functions that let you work directly with regular expressions.<\/p>\n
This guide will focus on the first function, but you have examples of all three: REGEXMATCH, REGEXEXTRACT, and REGEXREPLACE. After reviewing the function syntax, you have a reference guide with the basics for writing regular expressions. However, the best way to learn is to dive into the examples with step-by-step instructions. Once you get the hang of regular expressions, you\u2019ll use all three functions like a pro.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”what-is-the-regexmatch-function-in-googl” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
The REGEXMATCH function in Google Sheets allows you to check whether cells contain a string matching a pattern given by a regular expression. The function returns TRUE if the pattern is matched and FALSE if it isn\u2019t.<\/p>\n
The REGEXMATCH function has the following syntax:<\/p>\n
=REGEXMATCH(text,regular_expression)<\/pre>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”special-characters-for-regular-expressio” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
If you’re going to write regular expressions to match string patterns rather than string literals, you need to know about the special characters and character classes. You can think of regular expressions as ways of describing abstract patterns in text. These patterns can combine string literals and special characters to represent different types or classes of characters.<\/p>\n
Don\u2019t worry about memorizing any of it, though. The best way to get the hang of regular expressions is to work through simple but detailed examples like those in this article. Below is a list containing different types of special characters you can use to build regular expressions.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_text module_id=”how-to-use-regexmatch-in-google-sheets” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
You can use REGEXMATCH to check whether a text contains a specific string or string pattern expressed as a regular expression. Pass the text or the cell containing it as the first parameter of the function and the regular expression as the second parameter: REGEXMATCH(text,regular_expression).<\/p>\n
In an empty cell, type the REGEXMATCH function.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-type-function.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH in Google Sheets \u2014 =REGEXMATCH( typed in cell B2 with the text, regular_expression hint” title_text=”=REGEXMATCH( typed in cell B2 with the text, regular_expression hint” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Type the text between quotation marks or select the cell containing the text.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-add-text.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH in Google Sheets \u2014 cell A2 with Orange Jacket selected as the text argument” title_text=”Cell A2 with Orange Jacket selected as the text argument” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
After the comma, type the regular expression between quotation marks or select the cell containing it.<\/p>\n
[\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-add-regular-expression.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH in Google Sheets \u2014 the word Jacket typed in quotation marks as the regular expression” title_text=”The word Jacket typed in quotation marks as the regular expression” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n
Close the parenthesis and press \u2018Enter\u2019 to see the result. Grab the fill handle<\/a> and drag it down to the last cell you want to check.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-true-false-result.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH in Google Sheets \u2014 TRUE and FALSE results in the Jacket? column for each item” title_text=”TRUE and FALSE results in the Jacket? column for each item” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”examples-of-regexmatch-in-google-sheets” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Below, you have examples of using REGEXMATCH to check for string patterns that combine literal characters with special characters.<\/p>\n Follow the steps below to use REGEXMATCH to check a text and match any of the words you specify using the OR symbol (|).<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>First, type the regular expression into an empty cell to avoid worrying about quotation marks. In this case, you want to match one of the following words: red, blue, or green, so the regular expression is “Red|Blue|Green”.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-words-regex.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 regular expression Red|Blue|Green typed in cell B1″ title_text=”Regular expression Red|Blue|Green typed in cell B1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Type the REGEXMATCH function and select the cell containing the text you want to check.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-words-function.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 =REGEXMATCH(A4 typed under Contains Red, Green, or Blue” title_text=”=REGEXMATCH(A4 typed under Contains Red, Green, or Blue” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>After the comma, select the cell containing the regular expression using absolute referencing<\/a>.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-words-absolute-ref.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 formula with an absolute reference to the regex in cell B1″ title_text=”Formula with an absolute reference to the regex in cell B1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Close the parenthesis and press \u2018Enter\u2019. Grab the fill handle and drag it down to the last row.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-words-result.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 Contains Red, Green, or Blue column filled with TRUE and FALSE” title_text=”Contains Red, Green, or Blue column filled with TRUE and FALSE” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Follow the steps below to check whether a text contains any numbers.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>In an empty cell, write the regular expression you want to use. In this case, you want to match numbers with one or more digits: “[0-9]+”.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-numbers-regex.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 digit pattern typed in cell B1 above the Contains number? column” title_text=”Digit pattern typed in cell B1 above the Contains number? column” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Type the REGEXMATCH function and select the cell containing the text.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-numbers-function.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 =REGEXMATCH(A4 typed next to the text one” title_text=”=REGEXMATCH(A4 typed next to the text one” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>After the comma, select the cell with the regular expression using absolute referencing.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-numbers-absolute-ref.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 formula with an absolute reference to the digit pattern in B1″ title_text=”Formula with an absolute reference to the digit pattern in B1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Close the parenthesis and press \u2018Enter\u2019 to see the result. Grab the fill handle and drag it down to check the rest of the cells.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-match-numbers-result.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 Contains number? returns FALSE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE for the four texts” title_text=”Contains number? returns FALSE, TRUE, TRUE, FALSE for the four texts” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n Follow the steps below to match based on the text\u2019s start and end. In this case, I want to match sentences that begin with a capital letter and end with a period. In between, there can be any number of characters of any type.<\/p>\n 1. <\/strong>Write the regular expression you want to use in an empty cell. In this case, you want an uppercase letter at the beginning, followed by any number of any type of character (^[A-Z].*). Additionally, you want the last character to be a period, so you must precede it with a backslash to use it literally (\\.$). The complete regular expression is as follows: \u201c^[A-Z].*\\.$\u201d.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-starts-ends-with-regex.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 uppercase start and period end pattern typed in cell B1″ title_text=”Uppercase start and period end pattern typed in cell B1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 2. <\/strong>Type the REGEXMATCH function and select the cell containing the text.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-starts-ends-with-function.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 =REGEXMATCH(A4 typed next to This is my sentence.” title_text=”=REGEXMATCH(A4 typed next to This is my sentence.” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 3. <\/strong>Select the cell with the regular expression after the comma, using absolute referencing.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-starts-ends-with-absolute-ref.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 formula with an absolute reference to the pattern in B1″ title_text=”Formula with an absolute reference to the pattern in B1″ align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n 4. <\/strong>Close the parenthesis and press \u2018Enter\u2019, then accept the suggested Autofill to copy the formula down.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-google-sheets-starts-ends-with-autofill.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH Google Sheets example \u2014 TRUE for the first sentence and the Suggested autofill box” title_text=”TRUE for the first sentence and the Suggested autofill box” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”what-is-the-difference-between-regexextr” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n There are three functions directly related to regular expressions in Google Sheets. While the REGEXMATCH function checks whether or not a string pattern is present in a text, REGEXEXTRACT extracts the matching string from the text. If you want to replace the matching string, you can use REGEXREPLACE.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-vs-regexextract-regexmatch.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH vs REGEXEXTRACT \u2014 REGEXMATCH returns TRUE for github in a GitHub URL” title_text=”REGEXMATCH returns TRUE for github in a GitHub URL” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-vs-regexextract-regexextract.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH vs REGEXEXTRACT \u2014 REGEXEXTRACT returns github from the same URL” title_text=”REGEXEXTRACT returns github from the same URL” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][et_pb_image src=”https:\/\/static.sheetgo.com\/wp-content\/uploads\/2026\/10\/regexmatch-vs-regexextract-regexreplace.webp” alt=”REGEXMATCH vs REGEXEXTRACT \u2014 REGEXREPLACE swaps github for usedtobegithub in the URL” title_text=”REGEXREPLACE swaps github for usedtobegithub in the URL” align=”center” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” width=”100%” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”][\/et_pb_image][et_pb_text module_id=”conclusion” _builder_version=”4.22.2″ _module_preset=”default” global_colors_info=”{}” theme_builder_area=”post_content”]<\/p>\n As you have seen, regular expressions offer an effective and efficient method for pattern matching. The strict and versatile syntax allows you to describe complex, abstract patterns that combine fixed and variable elements. Their compact and abstract nature can make them look scary at first, but now that you know how to read them, you can see how powerful they are. In Google Sheets, you can use regular expressions with the three REGEX functions, which can be combined with other formulas and built-in functions.<\/p>\n You now know about the REGEXMATCH function in Google Sheets and the related functions REGEXEXTRACT and REGEXREPLACE. You know how to use all three functions using simple regular expressions to find exact and partial matches. You have step-by-step instructions on matching one word from a list, matching numbers, and matching the start and end of a string. Finally, you have a reference guide summarizing the syntax for regular expressions so that you can work on more complex expressions.<\/p>\n Because REGEXMATCH returns TRUE or FALSE, it also works inside other formulas. Wrap it in an IF function<\/a> to return your own labels, or use it as the condition of the FILTER function<\/a> to keep only the rows that match. To find a plain word without a pattern, the SEARCH function<\/a> is enough.<\/p>\n [\/et_pb_text][\/et_pb_column][\/et_pb_row][\/et_pb_section]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":" Aprenda a sintaxe da REGEXMATCH no Google Sheets e os caracteres especiais das express\u00f5es regulares, depois siga exemplos que identificam palavras, n\u00fameros e frases.<\/p>","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":263791,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"_et_pb_use_builder":"on","_et_pb_old_content":"","_et_gb_content_width":"","footnotes":""},"categories":[54],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-263771","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-google-sheets-formulas"],"acf":[],"permalink_manager":null,"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263771","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/2"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=263771"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/263771\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/263791"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=263771"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=263771"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.sheetgo.com\/pt\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=263771"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}Examples of REGEXMATCH in Google Sheets<\/h2>\n
Regex example 1. Match words<\/h3>\n
Regex example 2. Match numbers<\/h3>\n
Regex example 3. Starts with & ends with<\/h3>\n
What is the difference between REGEXEXTRACT and REGEXMATCH?<\/h2>\n
REGEXMATCH<\/h3>\n
REGEXEXTRACT<\/h3>\n
REGEXREPLACE<\/h3>\n
Conclusion<\/h2>\n