How to Extract Inc, LLC, Ltd and GmbH From Company Names Into Their Own Column
To extract the legal form from company names, read the end of each name against a list of forms and move the match into its own column. Upload the list to the company legal form extractor, pick the company column and download the file with Legal form and Region of form columns. It runs in your browser, and your file is not uploaded.
Why keep the form as data
A legal form shows the kind of entity and often where it was registered. Splitting it out lets you sort a list by entity type, spot which companies are probably in Germany or Australia, or check a vendor list. It is not the same job as tidying a name for an email: the company name cleaner strips suffixes, and our guide to removing Inc and LLC from company names covers that. Here the form is kept.
The by-hand way in Sheets or Excel
Test the end of the name for each form:
=IF(RIGHT(TRIM(A2),4)=" LLC","LLC",IF(RIGHT(TRIM(A2),4)=" Inc","Inc",IF(RIGHT(TRIM(A2),4)=" Ltd","Ltd","")))
It breaks on "Acme, Inc.", on "Acme Pty Ltd" and on "Müller GmbH & Co. KG", and you need a branch for every form. Dots and commas change the match, so you end up nesting SUBSTITUTE calls as well.
Step 1: upload and pick the company column
Upload a CSV or .xlsx file, or paste the cells with the header row first. A header such as Company or Organization is picked for you.
Step 2: choose the options
Decide whether Co and Company count as legal forms, and whether to replace the cell or add a column. By default a column with the name left over is added beside the form columns.
Step 3: read the output
| Company | Name left | Legal form | Region of form |
|---|---|---|---|
| Acme, Inc. | Acme | Inc | United States (mostly) |
| Brightside Pty Ltd | Brightside | Pty Ltd | Australia, South Africa |
| Nordlicht GmbH | Nordlicht | GmbH | Germany, Austria, Switzerland |
You also get counts of rows with a form, without one and blank, the forms found and examples. Names with no form are left alone.
How the end of the name is read
Only the end is read, and several forms in a row, such as a form followed by a second one, are taken off together. Dots and commas are ignored when matching. Short forms that are also ordinary words, such as AS, AB and PC, count only when typed in capitals. Forms in the middle of a name are left alone.
Why the region is only a hint
A form shows where a company was registered, not where it sells or where the contact lives. Treat the region as a way to sort, not a fact. If you also need to find the same company written twice, see finding duplicate company names.
What this tool cannot do
- Only the end of a name is read.
- The region is where a form is usually used, not where the company or contact is.
- Forms not in its list are not recognised.
- Only the first sheet of a workbook is read.
Check the addresses before you send
Tidy columns do not make an address deliverable. Upload your list on the verify page: the first 100 email checks are free with a Google sign-in, no card. Each address comes back valid, risky or invalid with a reason, and nothing is sent to anyone on the list. For larger or recurring lists, see bulk email verification, list cleaning and pricing.
Split your companies now
Open the company legal form extractor.
Common questions
How do I pull Inc, LLC and Ltd out of company names?
By hand you can test the end of the name with RIGHT and IF for each form. The company legal form extractor reads the end of each name against a list of forms, moves the form into its own column and leaves the name without it.
How is this different from stripping suffixes?
The company name cleaner removes suffixes so a name reads well in an email. This tool keeps the form as data, so you can sort a list by entity type.
Is the region where the company is based?
Not necessarily. It is where the form is usually used. Ltd is used in the United Kingdom, India, Ireland and elsewhere, so the tool reads United Kingdom and others.
Can it empty a company name?
No. At least one word of the name is always kept, so a company called Limited or Inc is not emptied.
Is my file uploaded?
No. It is read in your browser and goes nowhere.
Check your list before you send
Real mailbox checks over SMTP, and nothing is sent to the address. Sign in with Google and your first 100 email checks are free, no card. Plans for bigger lists are on the pricing page.