It works if you wrap sumproduct around it in order to search more than one
cell at a time;

=IF(SUMPRODUCT(--ISNUMBER(SEARCH("CL",B5:B999))),B5,"")


"Sue" wrote in message
om...
hi there

I would like the formula below to retrieve and return any entry within
a list (in excel) that begins with [or contains] the text "CL"..(in
this instance) - if there is nothing it returns a blank..

=IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCHB("CL",B5,1)),B5,"")

However I can only get it to search 1 cell at a time (and only in
cells below that cell ref (ie: B5), not above it). Is it possible to
replace the cell value with a range (ie: B:B)...so it searches more
extensively?

or is there something better that will do the trick?

many thanks in advance
Sue