Trim space from excel

Remove Spaces in Excel

While importing or copy-pasting the data from an external source, extra spaces are also copied in Excel. This makes the data disorganized and difficult to be used. The purpose of removing unwanted spaces from the excel data is to make it more presentable and readable for the user.

For example, if a cell contains “  rose,” the leading spaces may be visible to the reader. However, if “rose  ” is written in a cell, the two trailing spaces may not be easily caught by the user.

Since extra spaces may render the Excel formulas incorrect, it is essential to eliminate them.

Top 5 Methods to Remove Spaces in Excel

The five methods to remove extra spaces in Excel are listed as follows:

1. TRIM function
2. “Delimited” option of text to columns wizard
3. “Fixed width” option of text to columns wizard
4. Find and replace option
5. SUBSTITUTE function

The user can select any of the techniques depending on the requirement. Let us discuss all the methods one by one, along with examples.

You can download this Remove Spaces Excel Template here – Remove Spaces Excel Template

#1 – TRIM Function

The TRIM functionThe Trim function in Excel does exactly what its name implies: it trims some part of any string. The function of this formula is to remove any space in a given string. It does not remove a single space between two words, but it does remove any other unwanted spaces.read more removes all spaces from a text string except for the single space between the words.

The following data contains extra spaces in column A. We want to rewrite the data without these spaces in column B with the help of the TRIM function.

Step 1: In cell B1, enter the TRIM function.

Step 2: Select the cell A1.

Step 3: Press the “Enter” key. The extra spaces from the name are removed in cell B1, as shown in the following image.

Step 4: Copy or drag the formula to the remaining cells, as shown in the following image.

#2 – “Delimited” Option of Text to Columns Wizard

The text to columnsText to columns in excel is used to separate text in different columns based on some delimited or fixed width. This is done either by using a delimiter such as a comma, space or hyphen, or using fixed defined width to separate a text in the adjacent columns.read more wizard helps remove spaces in excel by splitting the data strings into separate columns. It works on cells containing numerical and textual values.

The following data contains spaces in column A. We want to split the words of column A into separate cells in such a way that the space between the strings is eliminated.

Use the “delimited” option of the text to columns wizard.

Step 1: Select column A. In the Data tab, click “text to columns” from the “data tools” group. The same is shown in the following image.

Step 2: The “convert text to columns wizard” appears, as shown in the following image. Select the option “delimited” in “choose the file type that best describes your data.” Click “next.”

Step 3: Select “space” as the delimiter and click “finish.”

Step 4: The text strings of column A are split into two columns. The second half of the strings is placed in column B. The spaces between the strings have also been removed.

#3 – “Fixed Width” Option of Text to Columns Wizard

The “fixed width” option of the text to columns wizard helps remove extra spaces from numerical and textual data in Excel. For this, all the strings before the space should contain the same number of characters.

The following data contains random text and numbers with spaces in column A. We want to remove the spaces and split the strings into two separate columns.

Use the “fixed width” option of the text to columns wizard.

Step 1: Select column A. In the Data tab, click “text to columns” from the “data tools” group. The same is shown in the following image.

Step 2: The “convert text to columns wizard” appears, as shown in the following image. Select the option “fixed width” in “choose the file type that best describes your data.” Click “next.”

Step 3: Place the cursor at the position of the space. Click “finish.”

Step 4: The strings of column A are split into two columns. The second half of the strings is placed in column B. The spaces between the strings have also been removed.

Note: The text to columns wizard (methods #2 and #3) splits the data into different columns.

#4 – Find and Replace Option

The find and replaceFind and Replace is an Excel feature that allows you to search for any text, numerical symbol, or special character not just in the current sheet but in the entire workbook. Ctrl+F is the shortcut for find, and Ctrl+H is the shortcut for find and replace.read more option helps remove spaces from numerical and textual data in Excel.

Working on the excel data under the heading “TRIM function” (method #1), we want to remove spaces with the find and replace option.

Step 1: Press “Ctrl+H” and the “find and replace” dialog box is displayed, as shown in the following image.

Step 2: Enter a space in the “find what” box. Leave the “replace with” box blank. Click “replace all.”

Step 3: Excel displays a message stating the number of replacements. Click “Ok.”

Step 4: All the spaces in column A have been removed, as shown in the following image.

#5 – SUBSTITUTE Function

The SUBSTITUTE functionSubstitute function in excel is a very useful function which is used to replace or substitute a given text with another text in a given cell, this function is widely used when we send massive emails or messages in a bulk, instead of creating separate text for every user we use substitute function to replace the information.read more helps remove the spaces by replacing them with the existing data string.

Working on the data under the heading “TRIM function” (method #1), we want to remove spaces in excel with the SUBSTITUTE function.

Step 1: In cell B1, enter the SUBSTITUTE function. Click “insert function” in the Formulas tab. The “function arguments” dialog box appears, as shown in the following image.

Step 2: Since the text in which characters are to be substituted is present in cell A1, enter the same in the “text” box.

Step 3: Since extra spaces are to be removed, enter “ ” in the “old_text” box. The blank between a pair of double quotation marks refers to a space.

Step 4: Since the space character is to be replaced with the existing text, enter “” in the “new_text” box. The pair of double quotation marks with no character in-between implies no spaces. Click “Ok.”

Step 5: The extra spaces from the name are removed in cell B1, as shown in the following image.

Step 6: Copy or drag the formula to the remaining cells, as shown in the following image. 

Note: The find and replace option and the SUBSTITUTE function (methods #4 and #5) display the entire text string together without spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to removing spaces in excel cells. We discuss how to remove Leading, Trailing, Blank, Extra Spaces along with step by step examples. You may download an Excel template from the website. For more on Excel, take a look at the following articles –

• Randomize List ExcelRandomizing a list in excel means selecting a random value from the data, to randomize a whole list in excel. There are two excel formulae for this: the =RAND() function, which returns any random value to the cell and then allows us to sort the list, and the =RANDBETWEEN() function, which returns random values to the cell from a number range specified by the user.read more
• Hiding an Excel ColumnThe methods to hide columns in excel are — hide columns using right-click option, hide columns using shortcut cut key, hide columns using column width, hide columns using VBA code.read more
• Hide Formula in ExcelHiding formula in excel is used when we do not want the formula to be displayed in the formula bar when we click on a cell with formulas. We can format the cells, check the hidden checkbox, and protect the worksheet.read more
• Copy Sheet in ExcelThere are various ways to Copy or Move Sheets in Excel 1- By using the dragging method. 2 — By using the right-click method. 3 — Copy a sheet by using Excel Ribbon. 4- Copy Sheet from Another Workbook. and 5- Copy Multiple Sheets in Excel.read more

Remove Space in Excel

Remove Spaces in Excel

While importing or copy-pasting the data from an external source, extra spaces are also copied in Excel. This makes the data disorganized and difficult to be used. The purpose of removing unwanted spaces from the excel data is to make it more presentable and readable for the user.

For example, if a cell contains “ rose,” the leading spaces may be visible to the reader. However, if “rose ” is written in a cell, the two trailing spaces may not be easily caught by the user.

Since extra spaces may render the Excel formulas incorrect, it is essential to eliminate them.

Table of contents

Top 5 Methods to Remove Spaces in Excel

The five methods to remove extra spaces in Excel are listed as follows:

1. TRIM function
2. “Delimited” option of text to columns wizard
3. “Fixed width” option of text to columns wizard
4. Find and replace option
5. SUBSTITUTE function

The user can select any of the techniques depending on the requirement. Let us discuss all the methods one by one, along with examples.

#1 – TRIM Function

The following data contains extra spaces in column A. We want to rewrite the data without these spaces in column B with the help of the TRIM function.

Step 1: In cell B1, enter the TRIM function.

Step 2: Select the cell A1.

Step 3: Press the “Enter” key. The extra spaces from the name are removed in cell B1, as shown in the following image.

Step 4: Copy or drag the formula to the remaining cells, as shown in the following image.

#2 – “Delimited” Option of Text to Columns Wizard

The following data contains spaces in column A. We want to split the words of column A into separate cells in such a way that the space between the strings is eliminated.

Use the “delimited” option of the text to columns wizard.

Step 1: Select column A. In the Data tab, click “text to columns” from the “data tools” group. The same is shown in the following image.

Step 2: The “convert text to columns wizard” appears, as shown in the following image. Select the option “delimited” in “choose the file type that best describes your data.” Click “next.”

Step 3: Select “space” as the delimiter and click “finish.”

Step 4: The text strings of column A are split into two columns. The second half of the strings is placed in column B. The spaces between the strings have also been removed.

#3 – “Fixed Width” Option of Text to Columns Wizard

The “fixed width” option of the text to columns wizard helps remove extra spaces from numerical and textual data in Excel. For this, all the strings before the space should contain the same number of characters.

The following data contains random text and numbers with spaces in column A. We want to remove the spaces and split the strings into two separate columns.

Use the “fixed width” option of the text to columns wizard.

Step 1: Select column A. In the Data tab, click “text to columns” from the “data tools” group. The same is shown in the following image.

Step 2: The “convert text to columns wizard” appears, as shown in the following image. Select the option “fixed width” in “choose the file type that best describes your data.” Click “next.”

Step 3: Place the cursor at the position of the space. Click “finish.”

Step 4: The strings of column A are split into two columns. The second half of the strings is placed in column B. The spaces between the strings have also been removed.

Note: The text to columns wizard (methods #2 and #3) splits the data into different columns.

#4 – Find and Replace Option

Working on the excel data under the heading “TRIM function” (method #1), we want to remove spaces with the find and replace option.

Step 1: Press “Ctrl+H” and the “find and replace” dialog box is displayed, as shown in the following image.

Step 2: Enter a space in the “find what” box. Leave the “replace with” box blank. Click “replace all.”

Step 3: Excel displays a message stating the number of replacements. Click “Ok.”

Step 4: All the spaces in column A have been removed, as shown in the following image.

#5 – SUBSTITUTE Function

Working on the data under the heading “TRIM function” (method #1), we want to remove spaces in excel with the SUBSTITUTE function.

Step 1: In cell B1, enter the SUBSTITUTE function. Click “insert function” in the Formulas tab. The “function arguments” dialog box appears, as shown in the following image.

Step 2: Since the text in which characters are to be substituted is present in cell A1, enter the same in the “text” box.

Step 3: Since extra spaces are to be removed, enter “ ” in the “old_text” box. The blank between a pair of double quotation marks refers to a space.

Step 4: Since the space character is to be replaced with the existing text, enter “” in the “new_text” box. The pair of double quotation marks with no character in-between implies no spaces. Click “Ok.”

Step 5: The extra spaces from the name are removed in cell B1, as shown in the following image.

Step 6: Copy or drag the formula to the remaining cells, as shown in the following image.

Note: The find and replace option and the SUBSTITUTE function (methods #4 and #5) display the entire text string together without spaces.

Frequently Asked Questions

While working with Excel, there might be extra spaces that are not easily visible to the user. It is important to eliminate them for the following reasons:

• The spaces at inappropriate places can make the data look untidy and disordered.
• The extra spaces have a negative impact on the quality of data presentation.
• The unwanted spaces can mess up with the formulas of Excel.
• Two cells with and without spaces are considered different entries even though the data in both may be identical.

Since it is difficult to remove the extra spaces manually, there are various techniques available in Excel for such deletions.

Leading spaces are the extra space characters entered at the beginning of a data string. In contrast, the trailing spaces are found at the end of a string without any character following them.

The TRIM function helps remove all the unwanted spaces of the database. The exception to this rule is the single space character inserted between the words.

The syntax of the TRIM function is stated as follows:

The “text” represents the cell from which excess spaces are to be removed.

For example, the text string “ Chicago, United States ” in cell C2 is changed to “Chicago, United States” by the formula “=TRIM(C2).”

To remove all the spaces in Excel, use the following formula:

The space (“ ”) is replaced by the existing data (“”) in the cell C2.

For example, the text string “Chicago, United States” in cell C2 is changed to “Chicago,United States” by the given formula.

Note: Alternatively, the find and replace option can be used to remove all the spaces of a data string.

Recommended Articles

This has been a guide to removing spaces in excel cells. We discuss how to remove Leading, Trailing, Blank, Extra Spaces along with step by step examples. You may download an Excel template from the website. For more on Excel, take a look at the following articles –

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Watch Video – Remove Spaces in Excel

Leading and trailing spaces in Excel often leads to a lot of frustration. I can’t think of a situation where you may need these extra spaces, but it often finds its way into the excel spreadsheets.

There are many ways you can end up with these extra spaces – for example, as a part of the data download from a database, while copying data from a text document, or entered manually by mistake.

Leading, trailing, or double space between text could lead to a lot of serious issues.

For example, suppose you have a data set as shown below:

Now have a look at what happens when I use a VLOOKUP function to get the last name using the first name.

You might not be able to spot the difference with the naked eye that there is an extra trailing space in the name that is causing this error.

In this example, it was easy to spot the issue in such a small data set, but imagine having to check this for thousands of records.

To be on the safe side, it is always a good idea to clean your data and remove spaces in Excel.

This Tutorial Covers:

How to Remove Spaces in Excel

In this tutorial, I will show you two ways to remove spaces in Excel.

• Using TRIM function.
• Using Find and Replace.

Using the TRIM Function

Excel TRIM function removes the leading and trailing spaces, and double spaces between text strings.

For example, in the above example, to remove spaces from the entire list if first names (in A2:A7), use the following formula in cell C1 and drag it down for all the first names:

Excel TRIM function would instantly remove all the leading and trailing spaces in the cell.

Once you have the cleaned data, copy it paste it as values in place of the original data.

This function is also helpful if you have more than one space character between words. It would remove the extra spaces such that the result always have one space character between words.

Excel TRIM function does a good job in removing spaces in Excel, however, it fails when you have non-printing characters (such as line breaks) in your data set. To remove non-printing characters, you can use a combination of TRIM and CLEAN functions.

If you have some text in cell A1 from which you want to remove spaces, use the below formula:

Non-printing characters can also result from =CHAR(160), which can not be removed by the CLEAN formula. So, if you want to be absolutely sure that you have all the extra spaces and non-printing characters, use the below formula:

Remove Extra Spaces in Excel using FIND and REPLACE

You can remove spaces in Excel using the Find and Replace functionality.

This is a faster technique and can be useful in the given situations:

• When you want to remove double spaces.
• When you want to remove all the space characters.

Removing Double Spaces

Note that this technique cannot be used to remove leading or trailing spaces. It will find and replace double spaces irrespective of its position.

Here are the steps to do this:

This will replace all the double spaces with a single space character.

Note that this will only remove double spaces. If you have three space characters in between 2 words, it would result in 2 space characters (would remove one). In such cases, you can do this again to remove and any double spaces that might have been left.

Removing Single Spaces

To remove all the space characters in a data set, follow the below steps:

This will remove all the space characters in the selected data set.

Note that in this case, even if there are more than one space characters between two text strings or numbers, all of it would be removed.

Remove Line Breaks

You can also use Find and Replace to quickly remove line breaks.

Here are the steps to do this:

• Select the data.
• Go to Home –> Find and Select –> Replace (Keyboard Shortcut – Control + H).
• In the Find and Replace Dialogue Box:
  • Find What: Press Control + J (you may not see anything except for a blinking dot).
  • Replace With: Leave it empty.
• Replace All.

This will instantly remove all the line breaks from the data set that you selected.

Based on your situation, you can choose either method (formula or find and replace) to remove spaces in Excel.

You may also like the following Excel tutorials:

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