✂️ Clean Up Unwanted Spaces with the TRIM Function (Google Sheets)

When working with text in Google Sheets, unnecessary spaces can disrupt sorting, filtering, or comparing data.
The TRIM function is a simple yet powerful tool that removes extra spaces from text, keeping your data clean and consistent.

✅ Syntax of the TRIM Function

=TRIM(text)

• text: The string or cell reference from which you want to remove extra spaces.

The TRIM function removes leading and trailing spaces, and also reduces multiple spaces between words to a single space.

✍️ Examples

Example 1: Remove leading and trailing spaces

=TRIM("   Hello World   ")

📌 Result: "Hello World"

Example 2: Normalize multiple spaces

=TRIM("Google   Sheets   function")

📌 Result: "Google Sheets function"

Example 3: Trim data from a cell

Assume cell A1 contains: " data science "

=TRIM(A1)

📌 Result: "data science"

Example 4: Combine with other functions

Convert trimmed name to uppercase:

=UPPER(TRIM("   james   kim  "))

📌 Result: "JAMES KIM"

💡 Practical Use Cases

• Data Cleanup: Useful for removing hidden spaces when importing data from external sources.
• Avoid Lookup Errors: Prevents mismatches caused by invisible spaces in VLOOKUP, MATCH, etc.
• Clean email/phone fields: Ensures input fields are free from accidental spaces.
• Combine with CONCAT or &: Ensures clean text when joining strings.

🧩 Notes

• TRIM only removes extra spaces; single spaces between words are kept.
• To remove line breaks or non-printable characters, use it together with the CLEAN function.

🧠 Summary Table

The TRIM function is an essential part of any spreadsheet toolkit.
By using it regularly, you ensure that your data stays clean, searchable, and easy to manage — even when imported from messy sources.