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How to Query Text Containing Specific Characters Like (B) in Microsoft Access

Kushani Nimanthika Sep 27, 2026 870 views

Question details

The user needs to filter records in a database query where a specific field contains a target string as part of a longer text value, rather than returning only exact matches.

How to Find Records Containing Specific Text Like (B) in an Access Query

Product: Microsoft Access
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Filtering records using a text query
Observed behavior: Using the literal criterion '(B)' only returns records whose entire value is exactly '(B)', ignoring records that contain '(B)' within a longer string.

Before you start

Ensure your database table is open in Design View and you have identified the specific text field you want to apply the filter to.

Solution 1Recommended

Use the 'Like' Operator with Asterisk Wildcards

Applying the wildcard operator allows Access to match a specific string anywhere within a larger body of text.

In Microsoft Access, the asterisk (*) acts as a wildcard that represents any sequence of characters. By placing an asterisk before and after your search term, you instruct the query to find that term regardless of what comes before or after it.

Open Query Design View

Open your Microsoft Access database, right-click the query you want to modify in the Navigation Pane, and select 'Design View'.

Locate the Target Field

Find the column for the text field you want to filter within the query design grid at the bottom of the screen.

Enter the Wildcard Criterion

In the 'Criteria' row for that field, type Like "*(B)*". The asterisks act as wildcards to represent any number of characters before and after your target text.

Run the Query

Click the 'Run' button (the red exclamation mark icon) in the Query Setup group on the ribbon to view your filtered results.

Use the 'Like' Operator with Asterisk Wildcards

Using Wildcards Correctly: If you only want to find text that starts with '(B)', you can use Like "(B)*" without the leading asterisk.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use wildcards to find text that ends with a specific character?

Yes. To find text that ends with '(B)', you would use the criterion Like "*(B)" by placing the asterisk only at the beginning.

Why isn't my query finding records with square brackets?

In Access, square brackets [] are often used to designate field names or character lists. If your target text involves square brackets, you may need to enclose them in brackets, like Like "*[[]B[]]*", to treat them as literal characters.

Does this wildcard search work in SQL View?

Yes, the syntax LIKE '*(B)*' works perfectly in Access SQL View. Note that if you are querying the database using ADO or SQL Server compatibility mode, you should use the percent sign (%) as the wildcard instead of the asterisk (*).

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