Excel's TRIM function can be used to clear unnecessary spaces in text. Its core functions include: 1. Delete spaces at the beginning and end of text; 2. Replace multiple spaces between words with single spaces; the usage method is to enter the formula =TRIM(A1) and fill it down, and then copy and paste the value to replace the original data; but TRIM cannot handle non-breaking spaces, line breaks or tabs, so it needs to be processed in combination with SUBSTITUTE or CHAR functions; it is recommended to use TRIM in the early stage of data cleaning, and cooperate with tools such as CLEAN or Power Query to improve efficiency.
If you've ever copied data into Excel and noticed weird gaps between words or at the start/end of cells, you know how frustrating it can be. Those extra spaces mess up lookups, sorting, and even basic readingability. Fortunately, Excel's TRIM function is a simple but powerful tool to clean things up fast.

What TRIM Actually Does
The TRIM function in Excel removes all extra spaces from text except for single spaces between words. It cleans up:

- Leading spaces (at the beginning of the text)
- Trailing spaces (at the end of the text)
- Multiple spaces between words (replaces them with one)
For example:
Original: " Hello world " After TRIM: "Hello world"
It's especially useful when dealing with imported or pasted data that has inconsistent spacing.

How to Use TRIM in Excel
Using TRIM is straightforward. Here's what you do:
In a new column next to your data, type the formula:
=TRIM(A1)
(Replace A1 with the cell containing the text you want to clean.)Drag the fill handle down to apply it to other rows.
If you want to replace the original data:
- Copy the trimmed results
- Select the original column
- Right-click and choose "Paste Special" > "Values"
This replaces the original data with the cleaned version.
When TRIM Isn't Enough
While TRIM handles most common space issues, it doesn't remove:
- Non-breaking spaces (common in web-copied text)
- Extra line breaks inside a cell
- Tabs or other special characters
In those cases, you might need to combine TRIM with other functions like SUBSTITUTE , or use Find & Replace with CHAR(10) for line breaks or CHAR(160) for non-breaking spaces.
Example to remove non-breaking spaces:
=TRIM(SUBSTITUTE(A1, CHAR(160), " "))
Best Practices for Cleaning Text in Excel
- Always work on a copy of your original data.
- Use TRIM early in your data cleaning process.
- Combine it with other tools if needed, like CLEAN or SUBSTITUTE.
- For repeated tasks, consider using Power Query to automate trimming and cleaning steps.
That's basically how you deal with extra spaces using TRIM. It's not complicated, but it makes a big difference when you're trying to keep your data neighbor and usable.
The above is the detailed content of how to remove extra spaces in excel using trim. For more information, please follow other related articles on the PHP Chinese website!

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