AI Regex Generator for Excel — Plain English to Regex
Regular expressions are the most powerful way to pull a pattern out of text — and the hardest to write. Describe what you want in plain English, let AI write the regex, and have it run on your column then and there.
Last updated: September 2026
| You describe | Regex | |
|---|---|---|
| the 5-digit ZIP code | → | \b\d{5}\b |
| everything before the first hyphen | → | ^([^-]*) |
Method 1 — write the regex yourself
Even seasoned analysts reach for a cheat sheet for lookaheads, anchors, and character classes. And Excel only gained REGEXEXTRACT/REGEXREPLACE on the very newest 365 builds — on anything older there's no built-in regex at all.
Method 2 — the 1-click way (Tellsheet)
AI Regex Builder
Select the column, run AI Regex Builder, and describe the pattern. AI writes the regular expression; then it runs on your machine — extract the matches into a new column, or replace them in place (with $1/$2 capture references). It removes the hardest part of Regex Find & Replace and Regex Extract to Columns, which stay available when you already have the pattern. Uses your own Anthropic API key; only your description and a few sample cells are sent. Pairs with AI Formula Builder.
Frequently asked questions
Can AI write a regex for Excel?
Yes — describe the pattern and AI Regex Builder writes it and runs it on your column.
Does Excel support regex?
Only the newest 365 builds; Tellsheet works everywhere and writes the pattern for you.
Where does it run?
On your machine — only the description and sample cells are sent to generate the pattern.
Extract or replace?
Both — extract to a new column, or replace matches in place.
Related Excel guides
Regex without the headache
AI Regex Builder writes the pattern from your description and runs it on your column.
Get Tellsheet free See pricing