excel vba: make part of string bold

calendar_today Asked Apr 24, 2012
thumb_up 7 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Have it now: lngPos = InStr(ActiveCell.Value, "/") With ActiveCell.Characters(Start:=1, Length:=lngPos – 1).Font .FontStyle = "Bold" End With. This is a 5-line VBA Core snippet, ranked #87th of 95 by community upvote score, from 2012.


The Problem (Q-score 4, ranked #87th of 95 in the VBA Core archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2012

I have excel cells which contain entries like this:

name/A/date
name/B/date
name/C/date

Cell content is displayed on multiple lines in the same cell. I would like to make only “name” bold for all entries. I recorded a macro and I think the solution must be something like this:

ActiveCell.FormulaR1C1 = "name/A/date" & Chr(10) & "name/B/date" & Chr(10) & "name/C/date"
With ActiveCell.Characters(Start:=25, Length:=4).Font
    .FontStyle = "Bold"
End With

What I don’t know is how to get the start value and the length of each entry. Anyone got an idea?

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 95 VBA Core entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds niche answer (below median) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — niche answer (below median) (+7)

5-line VBA Core pattern (copy-ready)

Have it now:

lngPos = InStr(ActiveCell.Value, "/")
With ActiveCell.Characters(Start:=1, Length:=lngPos - 1).Font
    .FontStyle = "Bold"
End With


When to Use It — vintage (14+ years old, pre-2013)

Ranked #87th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 94% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the VBA Core archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2012 and 2026

The answer is 14 years old. The VBA Core object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

This is a below-median answer — when does it still fit?
expand_more

Answer score +7 vs the VBA Core archive median ~4; this entry is niche. The score plus 4 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+4) means the asker and 6 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

Does the 5-line snippet run as-is in Office 2026?
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Yes. The 5-line pattern compiles on Office 365, Office 2024, and Office LTSC 2026. Verify two things: (a) references under Tools → References match those in the code, and (b) any Declare statements use PtrSafe on 64-bit Office.

This answer is 14 years old. Is it still relevant in 2026?
expand_more

Published 2012, which is 14 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The VBA Core object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which VBA Core pattern ranks just above this one at #86?
expand_more

The pattern one rank above is “Selecting a Microsoft Office Primary Interop Assembly version”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 4, Answer-score 7, original post 2012, ranked #87th of 95 in the VBA Core archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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