How to Use the TRIM Function in WPS on Windows

Last updated:July 20, 2026

Use TRIM in 3 practical topics, all available without membership; choose a topic from the How-to Index and follow the steps to clean text in WPS Spreadsheet.

How-to Index

No.TopicMembership
11. Enter the TRIM functionFree
22. Use a cell reference to clean textFree
33. Review the result and adjust the formulaFree

How-to Guide

1. Enter the TRIM function

Entry point: Formulas tab → formula bar

  1. Open WPS Spreadsheet and select the cell where you want the result to appear.
  2. Type = to begin a formula.
  3. Type TRIM( to start the function.
  4. Enter the text or cell reference you want to process, then close the parenthesis.
  5. Press Enter to confirm.

Success Criteria

  • The selected cell shows the cleaned text result.
  • You can continue editing the formula or fill it down to other cells.

Tips While Using

  • If you do not start with =, the content is treated as plain text.
  • Make sure the worksheet is editable before entering formulas.

2. Use a cell reference to clean text

Entry point: Worksheet cell → formula bar

  1. Select a blank cell in the result column.
  2. Type =TRIM(A2), replacing A2 with the actual source cell.
  3. Press Enter to view the cleaned result.
  4. Drag the fill handle if you want to apply the formula to more rows.

Success Criteria

  • The result column shows text with extra spaces removed.
  • The result updates when the source cell changes.

Tips While Using

  • A wrong cell reference can produce an unexpected result.
  • Check row alignment before filling the formula down a column.

3. Review the result and adjust the formula

Entry point: Result cell → formula bar

  1. Compare the original text with the TRIM result.
  2. If the result is not what you expect, click the result cell and review the formula reference.
  3. Adjust the referenced cell or the source text if needed.
  4. Press Enter again to update the result.

Success Criteria

  • The result cell shows the updated cleaned text.
  • You can continue combining TRIM with other text functions.

Tips While Using

  • Avoid overwriting the original data column if you still need side-by-side comparison.
  • Some special whitespace characters may require additional cleanup methods.