old_character is the character that you want to replace.original_string is the text or reference to the cell that you want to work on.The general syntax for the function is: =SUBSTITUTE ( original_string, old_character, new_character, instance_number) This function can be used to replace or remove a specific character from a string. Using the SUBSTITUTE Function to Replace Asterisks in ExcelĪnother easy way to replace asterisks in Excel is by using the SUBSTITUTE function. Let us see an example to understand how we can use the Find and Replace feature to replace all Asterisks in the data: Microsoft Excel uses the tilde (~) as a marker to indicate that the next character is a literal. Instead, you will need to prefix the asterisk with an escape character like the tilde (~). This means, a simple Find and Replace operation using a ‘*’ in the ‘ Find what’ field will not do any good. As such, it cannot be treated the same way as other characters. Now as mentioned before, the asterisk is a wildcard character in Excel. Using the Find and Replace Feature to Replace Asterisks in ExcelĮxcel’s Find and Replace dialog box is a great way to find items on your worksheet and get things done quickly.Īll you need to do is enter your search string to specify what you want to replace and then specify what you want to replace it with. Replacing only a Particular Instance of the Asterisk in Excel.Using the SUBSTITUTE Function to Replace Asterisks in Excel.Using the Find and Replace Feature to Replace Asterisks in Excel.