Use =EXACT(...) to test whether two text values match with case sensitivity. The full official syntax is =EXACT(text1, text2). This guide provides independently reasoned expected results, not results observed in ONLYOFFICE.

EXACT compares two text values and returns TRUE when they are the same and FALSE when not. The ONLYOFFICE EXACT reference states explicitly that comparison is case-sensitive and illustrates MyPassword versus mypassword as a FALSE result. Use it when capitalization matters; it does not fix or normalize data.

=EXACT(text1, text2)

There are 2 required arguments and no documented optional arguments. The names inside the signature are placeholders: do not type text or number literally unless that is a defined cell/range name.

This page is based on the unversioned English ONLYOFFICE Docs Spreadsheet Editor function catalogue and the function-specific official reference, accessed 2026-10-11 UTC. The direct function page confirms the signature described above; it does not state a first-supported build number. Therefore:

• Docs web/server editor: documented in the current help, but no native execution on an installed Docs build was performed.
• Desktop Editors: separate desktop changelog consulted; equivalence with any particular Desktop release is not established by the web-editor function article.
• Mobile/editor integrations: no edition-specific function execution was tested; the current web help is not an exhaustive compatibility matrix.
• Release context: the Docs changelog records Docs 9.4.0 on May 20, 2026 and the Desktop Editors changelog records Desktop 9.4.0 on May 19, 2026. Neither proves when this exact function was first introduced. Do not convert a changelog’s presence into an invented first-supported version.

All reproducible formulas below follow ONLYOFFICE’s English example convention: begin with =, use () and separate multiple arguments with commas. Literal text in a formula uses double quotes. The function insertion help demonstrates this syntax; Advanced Settings describes a selectable Formula Language and regional settings. Actual localized function spellings and argument separators must be checked on the target installation rather than assuming English settings or a universal semicolon rule.

Create a two-column comparison table. For row 4, B4 has one trailing ordinary space, which can be easy to miss. Type both columns as text.

Column A and B values are literal text. Their backticks are only Markdown formatting. Enter result formulas in column C, not in the input cells.

Step-by-step instructions

1. Open a new worksheet and enter the exact values in the data table; check that values specified as text are not automatically converted to dates or numbers.
2. In the specified output cells, enter the formulas below. Use the Function Arguments dialog (Formula tab) if direct typing is inconvenient.
3. Compare results to the expected values and explanations; these are reference expectations and independently checked text/ASCII arithmetic, not native test observations.
4. If an unexpected result appears, first inspect the original cell value, case and hidden spaces; then confirm formula language, separators, arguments, and installed editor version.
5. Leave source data untouched and record any deviations before applying transformations to real records.

The examples intentionally avoid unverified high-byte character conversions and long Unicode sequences. Differences in target build, implicit coercion, regional settings, input data, line-break rendering or formula evaluation must be investigated rather than silently changing the expected answer.

Turn a raw comparison into a readable audit outcome

=IF(EXACT(A3,B3),"MATCH","REVIEW")

Expected: REVIEW for row 3 because the capitalization differs. IF is separately documented here. This is a two-value comparison, not a unique-ID verification system.

Compare after deliberate whitespace cleanup

=EXACT(TRIM(A4),TRIM(B4))

Expected: TRUE, because only B4’s trailing ordinary ASCII space is removed. Compare it with raw =EXACT(A4,B4), expected FALSE. The ONLYOFFICE TRIM reference describes removal of leading/trailing spaces. Do not silently substitute normalized values for originals if whitespace is meaningful in your identifiers.

Restrict blank-or-missing values in a validation rule

=IF(AND(LEN(A2)>0,EXACT(A2,B2)),"PASS","CHECK")

Expected: PASS for A2/B2. LEN and AND are separately documented; this combination prevents an intended empty input from being accepted solely because its text matches an empty reference. The handling of formulas returning empty text is not native-tested here.

1. Case matters (a differs from A). This is directly stated in ONLYOFFICE documentation.
2. A leading or trailing space changes the comparison. Check for invisible characters using LEN or CODE before normalizing.
3. EXACT is not a fuzzy match, substring search, wildcard match, or locale-neutral collation engine. Use appropriate lookup or cleanup logic for those jobs.
4. ONLYOFFICE help does not specify precise coercion and error behaviour for numeric, blank, error or array inputs. These are release-specific test requirements, not facts established by the simple text example.
5. Two visibly identical Unicode strings can use different encodings/normalizations. The documentation does not establish grapheme normalization or canonical equivalence; do not assert an outcome without native tests.

1. Formula appears as text: confirm the leading equals sign, formula cell type, and that pasted quotes use straight " characters, not curly quotes.
2. Unexpected value: inspect the input with a helper LEN/CODE column or Show Formulas. Invisible characters and formatting can mislead visual inspection.
3. Unknown function or syntax warning: choose the function from the current Formula tab and confirm its signature in the installed build; then verify English versus localized Formula Language and argument separators.
4. Wrong result after copying: make sure cell references still point to the intended row; verify capitalization, spaces, and whether a referenced value is stored as a number or text.
5. Different result from Excel: review the comparison below; do not attribute a difference to a vendor bug without a controlled native reproduction using the same inputs.
6. Remaining disagreement: save a minimal workbook with raw inputs, the formula, edition/build number, operating system, chosen formula language, expected value and actual value; attach it to manual review.

The official function insertion guide also documents the Formula tab, function argument helper, Show Formulas and forced calculation. No browser action or screenshot was created for this guide.

Excel: Microsoft’s EXACT documentation confirms a case-sensitive text comparison and explicitly states that cell formatting differences are ignored. ONLYOFFICE’s EXACT page documents case sensitivity and TRUE/FALSE but does not expressly address style formatting or Unicode normalization. So the plain ASCII examples can be compared, but the evidence here does not prove complete feature parity.

Other editors: A same-named EXACT formula may be available in spreadsheets besides Excel and ONLYOFFICE. Before transferring a mission-critical workbook, validate text encoding, blank/error inputs, locale and data types with the target version rather than assuming the shared name guarantees identical results.

The following official ONLYOFFICE function references were checked for syntax or related workflow, not treated as verified live Spreadsheet-Tutorials.com URLs:

• TRIM reference — removes leading/trailing ordinary spaces.
• LEN reference — detects length differences.
• CODE reference — inspects an initial character.
• IF reference — turns a comparison into a classification.
• CLEAN reference — removes nonprinting characters.

• ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor — function documentation
• function catalogue
• separate desktop changelog
• Docs changelog
• Advanced Settings
• documented here
• ONLYOFFICE TRIM reference

Verification status: Official documentation checked; example outcomes were independently reasoned or arithmetically checked where applicable. Not executed in ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor.

• No genuine ONLYOFFICE Spreadsheet Editor screenshots are included; this guide does not use mock application images.