How to Combine Cells in Excel

Bottom Line: Learn how to combine multiple cells in Excel into one for cleaner, more organized data.

Skill Level: Beginner

Combine data from multiple cells into one

When working with data in Excel, there are times when you need to combine or merge information from multiple cells into one.

Whether you're working with names, addresses, employee numbers, or any other type of data, knowing how to efficiently combine cells can save you time and make your data more readable.

Let’s look at three simple ways to combine cells in Excel:

1. Using the & (Ampersand) Operator

The easiest method to combine text from different cells is by using the ampersand symbol (&). This method allows you to merge content while keeping full control over formatting.

Steps:

  1. Click on the cell where you want the combined result.
  2. In the formula bar, type =A1&B1. Replace A1 and B1 with the cells you want to combine.
  3. Press Enter.

If you want a space between the values, modify the formula to include quotation marks with a space:
=A1&" "&B1

This method is simple and works for combining text, numbers, and more.

Use Ampersand to combine multiple cells

2. Using the CONCATENATE Function

CONCATENATE is another method for combining text, though it has been replaced by the more versatile TEXTJOIN function in later versions of Excel.

Steps:

  1. Select the cell where you want the combined result.
  2. Enter the formula =CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1). Replace A1 and B1 with the cells you want to combine.
  3. Press Enter.

Like the ampersand method, this one allows for specific formatting but requires more typing.

Use CONCATENATE function to combine multiple cells

3. Using the TEXTJOIN Function

In Excel 2016 and later, the TEXTJOIN function makes it easy to combine values from multiple cells while specifying a delimiter (like a space or comma) and skipping empty cells.

Steps:

  1. Select the cell where you want the result.
  2. Enter the formula =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A1:B1). The first argument, " ", specifies a space as the delimiter. The second, TRUE, means empty cells are ignored. The third is the data range you want combined, so replace A1 and B1 with the relevant cell names for your purpose).
  3. Press Enter.

This function is powerful because it can handle large ranges of cells at once, and it’s easier to use than repeatedly entering the ampersand or CONCATENATE function.

Use TEXTJOIN to combine multiple cells while ignoring blank ones

Bonus Tip: Merging Cells

If you need to combine multiple cells into one but don't want to keep their contents (such as merging cells for formatting), you can use Excel's Merge & Center tool.

However, be cautious with this method as it will keep only the upper-left cell value, deleting the contents of all others.

Merge cells for formatting, not to combine data

Conclusion

Now that you know how to combine cells in Excel, you can organize your data with ease. Try each method and see which one works best for your specific needs!

Which method do you see yourself using more frequently? Leave a comment below to let us know!

1 comment

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  • Sigh… memories…

    Still remember when I realized CONCATENATE wasn’t really necessary when I was adding the cells to concatenate like so: A1&B1&C1…

    Did mean I’d found probably the only way in the world to slow concatenation down though. So I, um, had that…

    On a different tack, it does show the importance of explaining even the smallest details when teaching something very new to a person. Not everything is “intuitively obvious to the casual observer” like some profs used to say 50 years ago.

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