Categorize Products by SKU Prefix
I need to extract the first 2 letters of an SKU (e.g., 'FU' from 'FU-101') to determine the product category (Furniture).
=LEFT(A2, 2) How it works: The LEFT function extracts a specified number of characters from the beginning (left side) of a text string. In this scenario, `A2` refers to the cell containing the SKU, and `2` specifies that we want to extract the first two characters, which represent the product category prefix.
Data Setup
| SKU | Product Name |
|---|---|
| FU-101 | Office Chair |
| EL-205 | Laptop Charger |
| CL-310 | T-Shirt |
| FU-112 | Desk Lamp |
| EL-210 | Smartphone |
Step-by-Step Guide
Select the cell where you want the extracted category to appear (e.g., B2).
Type the formula `=LEFT(A2, 2)` into the selected cell, assuming your first SKU is in cell A2.
Press Enter to see the result ('FU').
Drag the fill handle (the small square at the bottom-right of the cell) down to apply the formula to the rest of your SKUs.
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