Published on January 21, 2021, by Jake Sheridan
Have you ever found yourself in a situation where you need to replace specific parts of a text string in Google Sheets? Lucky for you, the REGEXREPLACE function is here to save the day! In this article, we’ll dive into the world of REGEXREPLACE and discover its powerful applications in marketing.
Understanding the REGEXREPLACE Function in Google Sheets
The REGEXREPLACE function is part of a trio of regex functions available in Google Sheets, alongside REGEXEXTRACT and REGEXMATCH. It allows you to replace a portion of a text string with another text string using regular expressions.
Regular expressions are search patterns or character sequences that help you identify specific patterns within a text string. Once identified, you can easily replace them with any other text using the REGEXREPLACE function.
What Exactly is REGEXREPLACE?
Here’s the syntax for the REGEXREPLACE function:
=REGEXREPLACE(text, regular_expression, replacement)Let’s break down the function arguments:
text: The original source text string from which a portion will be replaced.regular_expression: Defines what you’re searching for within the text.replacement: The text that will replace the found instances in the original text.
When Should You Use REGEXREPLACE in Marketing?
REGEXREPLACE proves to be incredibly useful in various marketing scenarios, such as:
- Updating title tags and meta descriptions.
- Updating URLs in preparation for a migration.
How to Use the REGEXREPLACE Function in Google Sheets
Now, let’s get into how this powerful function works. Suppose you have a list of article titles with different years, and your goal is to replace these years with “2020”. To achieve this, you need to create a regular expression that matches any number. The REGEXREPLACE function will search for this regex and replace the found instances with the replacement text you’ve defined, in this case, “2020”.
Here’s an example of the REGEXREPLACE function:
=REGEXREPLACE(A2, "[0-9]+", "2020")In this case, the regular expression [0-9]+ searches for any number. Once found, it is replaced by the value defined as the third argument.
The function is also useful when filling in templates. For instance, if you have a template that says “Email Address: “, and you want to replace that part with the actual email addresses that users enter, you can use the following function:
=REGEXREPLACE($A$2, "<([A-Za-z]+)>", A5)The key to using REGEXREPLACE in templates is to lock the cell reference using dollar signs ($) for the text argument. This ensures that the template remains the same for every REGEXREPLACE formula.
Take Your Google Sheets Skills to the Next Level!
The REGEXREPLACE function empowers you to replace any portion of text based on advanced search criteria. While understanding regular expressions may require some practice, once you master them, you can combine them with any other Google Sheets function.
For more helpful tips on Google Sheets, visit Crawlan.com.
