> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://docs.keyfax.biz/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://docs.keyfax.biz/product-suite/admin/databox-expressions/text-expressions/padleft.md).

# PadLeft

Insert a number of characters to the beginning of a string (the left) ensuring the string length doesn't exceed the length passed in the first argument.

<table><thead><tr><th width="194">Expression</th><th width="148">Databox Value</th><th width="197">Result</th><th>Comments</th></tr></thead><tbody><tr><td><code>PadLeft(20, '_')</code></td><td>Please sign</td><td>_________Please sign</td><td>Inserts 9 underscores ensuring the string is no more than 20 characters</td></tr><tr><td><code>PadLeft(8, "> ")</code></td><td>Note:</td><td>>>>Note:</td><td>Resulting string is 8 characters long</td></tr></tbody></table>