Use SEARCH to match a keyword inside text in Numbers without considering capitalization. Add a helper column to turn each match into TRUE or FALSE, then filter the rows you need. Apple’s SEARCH documentation confirms this behavior.

This walkthrough uses a synthetic geometry project list to find descriptions containing selected keywords. Apple’s current Mac guide identifies Numbers 15.4; check your installed version with Numbers → About Numbers if your interface differs. Numbers User Guide for Mac

Create a case-insensitive keyword match

Set up one table with these headings in row 1. Enter the descriptions and object counts in columns A and B, leaving column C empty for formulas. The results shown below are expected results derived from the documented functions, rather than measurements from a running Numbers session.

Row A: Description B: Object count C: Match
2 TRIANGLE layout 6 TRUE
3 Small triangle model 4 TRUE
4 Rectangle layout 8 FALSE
5 Triangle and circle study 5 TRUE
6 Circle layout 3 FALSE

Click cell C2, type the following formula, and press Return. Typing the initial equals sign opens the Formula Editor. Apple documents this entry method in Calculate values using data in table cells in Numbers on Mac.

=IFERROR(SEARCH("triangle",A2)>0,FALSE)

SEARCH returns the starting position of the matching text, ignoring case. Comparing that position with zero produces TRUE. When the keyword is absent, the search produces an error; IFERROR substitutes FALSE. This combination creates a reusable match flag. SEARCH, IFERROR

Select C2 and move the pointer over its border until the yellow autofill handle appears. Drag it down through C6. Use an empty destination range: autofill overwrites existing content. Apple describes this process in Autofill cells in Numbers on Mac.

Check that the formula in C3 refers to A3 and the formula in C6 refers to A6. These are individual row formulas: each evaluates one description and returns one result. Keep the single-cell reference when following this method; changing it to a range is a different formula design.

Decide what counts as a keyword match

Ignoring capitalization answers only part of the matching question. You also need to decide whether the keyword may appear inside longer text, must occupy the entire cell, or should be interpreted as a pattern. Choose that rule before filtering your table.

Your requirement Suitable approach Example outcome
Find text anywhere inside a description SEARCH with IFERROR triangle matches TRIANGLE layout
Match an entire cell while ignoring case Compare lowercase versions triangle matches TRIANGLE, but excludes Triangle layout
Find literal text containing punctuation FIND applied to lowercase text An asterisk can be treated as an ordinary character
Recognize a structured pattern REGEX with its case setting specified Define the allowed pattern explicitly

Match the entire cell

For a whole-cell comparison, replace the formula in C2 with the following and fill it down:

=LOWER(A2)=LOWER("triangle")

LOWER converts text to lowercase, and the equality comparison checks the resulting values. This derived formula accepts a cell containing only TRIANGLE or Triangle. It rejects Triangle layout. It also leaves spaces and punctuation in place, so decide whether those differences should matter. LOWER, Compare values using a formula

Handle punctuation and patterns deliberately

Wildcard syntax gives * and ? special meanings: they represent any number of characters and one character, respectively. A preceding tilde makes the following wildcard character literal; for example, ~? searches for a question mark. Use string operators and wildcards

For literal keyword text, an alternative is to lowercase both arguments and use FIND, whose ordinary text search does not allow wildcards. This complete formula searches the description in A2 for a literal asterisk:

=IFERROR(FIND(LOWER("*"),LOWER(A2))>0,FALSE)

Here, LOWER removes the capitalization difference before FIND runs. Replace the quoted asterisk with the literal text you need. FIND, LOWER

If you later introduce regular expressions, specify their case behavior explicitly. Apple documents REGEX(pattern,FALSE) as ignoring case; omitting the second argument makes the regular expression case-sensitive. A pattern also needs its own definition of word boundaries or allowed characters. REGEX

Match either keyword or require both keywords

For a small, fixed keyword set, separate helper columns make the logic easy to inspect. Keep the triangle test in C2. Add Circle match in D1 and enter this formula in D2, then fill it through D6:

=IFERROR(FIND(LOWER("circle"),LOWER(A2))>0,FALSE)

This uses the lowercase-and-FIND method described above. Columns C and D now answer separate questions about the same description. Add Either keyword in E1 and Both keywords in F1. Enter these formulas in E2 and F2, respectively, then fill both down:

=OR(C2,D2)

=AND(C2,D2)

OR returns TRUE when at least one argument is true. AND requires every argument to be true. Using separate flags also lets you see which keyword caused a match. OR, AND

With the sample descriptions, every row matches at least one keyword except Rectangle layout. Only Triangle and circle study matches both. These expected outcomes provide a small diagnostic check before you apply the formulas to a larger project table.

Filter the table and highlight readable results

To display matching rows, select a cell in the relevant result column—C for triangle, E for either keyword, or F for both. Move the pointer over the column letter, open its arrow menu, and choose Quick Filter. Select TRUE and deselect the other values. Click elsewhere on the sheet to finish. Filter data in Numbers on Mac

Filtering controls which rows are visible. If filtering is unavailable, Apple advises checking for merged cells and unmerging them. You can review or turn off filtering in the Organize sidebar’s Filter tab. Filter data in Numbers on Mac

For a clear visual marker, add a text-result column. For example, put Result in G1 and enter this formula in G2 to label the either-keyword result:

=IF(E2,"Match","No match")

Fill the formula down. IF selects the first label when E2 is true and the second when it is false. IF

Select G2:G6, open Format → Cell → Conditional Highlighting, and click Add a Rule. Choose a text rule that tests equality with Match, select a fill or text style, and click Done. Apple’s documented highlighting workflow evaluates the selected cells’ values and also permits cell-reference comparisons. Use cell conditions in Numbers on Mac

This colors the result cells. It does not establish automatic formatting for an entire row or color only the keyword inside a description. Keep the matching calculation in table cells and apply the documented highlighting rules to their results. If multiple highlighting rules match a cell, Apple says the first rule in the list determines its appearance. Use cell conditions in Numbers on Mac

Check unexpected results before using the filtered view

If a description is accepted too broadly, first check the matching rule. A substring test can accept a keyword inside a longer word. Use whole-cell equality when descriptions are supposed to be single category labels; use a deliberately defined pattern when boundaries matter.

If a result seems incorrect, temporarily inspect the inner search expression without IFERROR. That wrapper replaces any error with the fallback value, so an upstream error can look like an ordinary nonmatch. Numbers lets you click a formula error to inspect its message. IFERROR, Calculate values using data in table cells

If you chart the object counts from the filtered table, check the chart’s treatment of hidden data. Apple says hidden or filtered data is excluded by default. To include it, select the chart and enable Hidden Data under Format → Chart → Chart Options. Modify chart data in Numbers on Mac

Start with the five-row sample and confirm the expected flags. Then choose the matching rule that fits your descriptions, extend the helper formulas through your data, and filter the appropriate result column. The visible match flags make it straightforward to inspect why each project row was included.

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