The REGEXMATCH function in Google Sheets is a powerful tool used to identify whether a specific text string complies with a given regular expression pattern. This function serves as a critical asset for data validation, pattern recognition, and text processing within sheets.

Syntax

REGEXMATCH(text, regular_expression)

• text: The string of text you want to evaluate against the regex.
• regular_expression: The regex pattern that defines the criteria the text should match.

Example #1

=REGEXMATCH("Hello123", "^[A-Za-z]+[0-9]+$")

This function checks if “Hello123” consists of letters followed by numbers. The result is TRUE because it matches the pattern.

Example #2

=REGEXMATCH("test@example.com", "^[\w-\.]+@([\w-]+\.)+[\w-]{2,4}$")

Here, the function evaluates the string “test@example.com” to see if it fits the standard email format. The result is TRUE as it conforms to the regular expression for valid emails.

Example #3

=REGEXMATCH("abc", "\d+")

This checks whether “abc” contains any digits. The result is FALSE since there are no digits in the string.

Error handling

• VALUE!: Returned when the text argument is not a valid string.
• N/A: This occurs if the regular_expression is not in proper regex format.
• ERROR!: Appear when there is an invalid reference in the function call, such as a missing argument.

Conclusion

In conclusion, the REGEXMATCH function is an essential feature for users looking to streamline text evaluations within Google Sheets. By understanding its syntax and potential errors, users can effectively employ regex to meet their specific text-matching needs.