Clean Up Report Data: Excel Hacks You Need to Know

17 January 2025 by Carey eDiscovery Excel report-formatting excel-hacks

Takeaway: Getting eDiscovery report data how you need it can be tricky. Sure, most platforms try to give you reports in the format you request, but let’s face it—it’s not always perfect. That’s where Excel comes to the rescue. With a handful of simple formulas and quick tweaks, you can transform your report into precisely what you need. Let’s see how to clean up common data issues in eDiscovery reports—like removing email addresses and dates from cells—so your report looks polished and ready for action.

Why Clean Up eDiscovery Reports?

eDiscovery reports contain essential details like email addresses, timestamps, and metadata. But be honest: raw data isn’t always easy to work with. If you’re building summaries, creating client presentations, or just trying to make sense of all the information, you need it formatted cleanly. Luckily, Excel is a powerhouse for this kind of work. Even if your report is imperfect, a few quick adjustments can make it presentation-ready in no time.

How to Remove Email Addresses from Cells in Excel

Picture this: you’ve got a cell like this in your report:

John Doe <johndoe@example.com>

And all you want is the name, not the email address. Here’s how you can fix it:

Use the SUBSTITUTE Formula

Paste this formula into a blank column:

= SUBSTITUTE(A1,MID(A1,FIND("<", A1), FIND(">", A1) - FIND("<", A1) + 1), "")

What it does: It finds the email address (anything between < and >) and replaces it with nothing (aka deletes it).
The result: John Doe

Boom—clean data in seconds.

How to Remove Dates and Times from Cells in Excel

Let’s tackle another common issue: cells with dates or timestamps you don’t need. For example:

Message sent on 2025-01-16 at 09:30:00

If all you want is “Message sent”, here’s what to do:

Use the LEFT and FIND Functions

Try this formula:

=LEFT(A1, FIND("on", A1) - 1) </div>

What it does: It grabs everything before the word “on” and leaves the rest out.
The result: Message sent

Cleaning Up More Complex Cells

What if your data is even messier—like a cell with an email address and a timestamp? No problem. You can combine formulas to handle multiple cleanups in one go.

Here’s an example formula that removes both email addresses and timestamps:

Sample data:

John Doe <johndoe@example.com> Message sent on 2025-01-16 at 09:30:00

Formula:

=SUBSTITUTE(SUBSTITUTE(A1, MID(A1, FIND("<", A1), FIND(">", A1) - FIND("<", A1) + 1), ""), MID(A1, FIND("on", A1), LEN(A1)), "")

What it does: This formula does double duty by removing anything between < > (the email) and everything after “on” (the timestamp).
The result: John Doe Message sent

Pro Tips for Excel Formatting in eDiscovery

Work on a copy: Always keep a backup of the original data. Trust us, it’s a lifesaver.
Highlight changes with conditional formatting: If you’re not sure you’ve caught everything, use conditional formatting to check for patterns or errors visually.
Document your steps: Keep notes on what formulas you used so you can repeat the process next time without guessing.

Excel vs. a Tailored eDiscovery Solution

Excel is like your trusty sidekick when formatting data from eDiscovery reports. Whether stripping out email addresses, cleaning up dates, or just making messy data look good, a few well-placed formulas can make all the difference. It is a fantastic tool for customizing your data, but not always the quickest option—especially if you’re handling significant reports or doing the same cleanup tasks repeatedly. That’s where a good eDiscovery platform can make all the difference. The right tool can give you reports that are easier to work with, cutting down on manual effort.

If you’re tired of dealing with data and want to see how a customized eDiscovery solution can save you time, try GoldFynch.

GoldFynch is an affordable, streamlined, secure eDiscovery service for small to mid-size organizations. It has a free trial that you can sign up for in seconds without a credit card.

It costs just $27 a month for a 3 GB case: That is significantly less than most comparable software. With GoldFynch, you know what you’re paying for exactly – its pricing is simple and [readily available on the website].(https://goldfynch.com/pricing)
It’s easy to budget for. GoldFynch charges only for storage (processing is free). So, choose from a range of plans (3 GB to 150+ GB) and know upfront how much you’ll be paying. It takes just a few clicks to move from one plan to another, and billing is prorated – so you’ll pay only for the time you spend on any given plan. With legacy software, [pricing is much less predictable].(https://goldfynch.com/blog/2018/02/17/Which-Type-of-eDiscovery-Pricing-Will-Save-Money-for-My-Small-Law-Firm.html)
It’s simple to use. Many eDiscovery applications take hours to master. GoldFynch takes minutes. It handles a lot of complex processing in the background, but what you see is minimal and intuitive. Just drag-and-drop your files into GoldFynch and you’re good to go. Plus, it’s designed, developed, and run by the same team. So you get prompt and reliable tech support.
It keeps you flexible. To build a defensible case, you need to be able to add and delete files freely. Many applications charge to process each file you upload, so you’ll be reluctant to let your case organically shrink and grow. And this stifles you. With GoldFynch, you get unlimited processing for free. So, on a 3 GB plan, you could add and delete 5 GB of data at no extra cost – as long as there’s only 3GB in your case at any point. And if you do cross 3GB, your plan upgrades automatically and you’ll be charged for only the time spent on each plan. That’s the beauty of prorated pricing.
Access it from anywhere. And 24/7. All your files are backed up and secure in the Cloud.

Want to learn more about GoldFynch?

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