Skip to main content

How to use concatenate in Excel

A man using a PC to view an Excel spreadsheet.
Getty Images

The concatenate function may not be as well known as other common Excel features such as IF and VLOOKUP, but it’s still effective, even though it performs a more simple function in nature. If you are using Microsoft Excel, you can use concatenate to merge the data you have inserted into columns into a single cell or column. For example, you could combine columns detailing revenue and profit for a given month into one cell.

Recommended Videos

Difficulty

Easy

Duration

5 minutes

What You Need

  • PC

  • Microsoft Excel

Concatenate merges data from two or more cells or columns into a third. While similar, it is not the same as merging cells in Excel. That is a formatting feature, whereas concatenate is a data analysis tool.

Let’s take a look at how to use concatenate in Excel.

Using the concatenate function for two columns in Excel

Step 1: Select the column and cell in which you’ll be combining data from other cells. For demonstration purposes, I will be using concatenate in the column adjacent to the first two columns that I will be combining, but you can use any location within your spreadsheet.

Selecting a cell that will be used for the concatenate function.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: I will be combining the A2 and B2 cells, so I’ve typed in =CONCATENATE(A2,B2). This is the most basic form of using the concatenate function, but there are ways to customize it, which we’ll go through in step 4.

Entering the concatenate formula into a cell in Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 3: To confirm the concatenate formula, just hit the enter key, after which the cells you’ve inserted into the formula will be joined.

How a cell looks after inputting the concatenate formula in Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 4: As you can see above, the standard concatenate formula I used combined my data but it doesn’t look quite right.

You may want to insert a space between the data that is being joined: Type in =CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2).

If you want to add another value, simply type that in between the quotation marks within that formula. For example, you can separate the combined data with the equal sign.

I’ve added the equal sign and two additional spaces between it within the quotations marks to separate the data that has been merged.

Adding a space and equal sign within a concatenate formula in Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 5: You can further customize the cell where the concatenate function is being used by using the standard Excel tools. I’ve made it bold, centered the text, and increased the font size.

Applying further customization to a cell where the concatenate function has been applied.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How do you concatenate 3 columns in Excel?

You can also use the concatenate function to combine more than two columns.

Step 1: I typed in =CONCATENATE(A2,B2,C2) into its own cell. Change the column letters to ones of your choosing, and then hit Enter.

The concatenate formula for combining three columns in Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

Step 2: If you want to use concatenate for an entire column, Excel provides an easy solution. Just drag the first cell’s bottom-right corner that we filled in from step 1 using your mouse to wherever you wish the combined data to appear.

Applying the concatenate formula by dragging a cell in Excel.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

How do you concatenate in Excel without a formula?

Step 1: To concatenate cells in Excel without using its formula, enter, for example, =A2 & B2.

This will save you from entering the formula itself, which, in this case, would be =CONCATENATE(A2,B2).

Step 2: As is the case with confirming the concatenate formula, press the Enter button.

Applying the concatenate function in Excel without the formula.
Image used with permission by copyright holder

For more guides on Excel and its other functions, head over to our articles explaining how to make a graph and how to alphabetize data in a spreadsheet.

Zak Islam
Former Computing Writer
Zak Islam was a freelance writer at Digital Trends covering the latest news in the technology world, particularly the…
I never use my Microsoft Copilot subscription. I still think it’s worth it
Microsoft 356 apps.

If you have a regular subscription, you’re likely well-versed in the dance of paying for something and wondering if it’s worth the value. For many people, that might be a streaming service that hasn’t been used in six or more months or a membership for a gym that hasn’t been visited since before that last holiday. For me, I grapple with what to do with my Microsoft 365 subscription, specifically after the recent price hike due to the addition of Copilot+ features.

Microsoft 365 is one of those interesting computer suites that you don’t realize that you need until you need it. It's likely why I’ve allowed Microsoft to snatch money from my bank account for several years, when I only use one or two programs and one or two features.

Read more
How to install Windows 11 with an offline account
An iPhone linked in Windows 11.

Microsoft has been keen for all its users to use online, connected Microsoft Accounts for Windows logins for years and many versions of the operating system, but it's really kicked it into high gear in recent years. Now there aren't any official ways to decline using a connected account when installing Windows 11, but there are a few ways you can get around it.

Here's how you can use an offline account when installing Windows 11, to avoid Microsoft oversight.

Read more
5 OneNote for Windows 10 replacements worth using in 2025
Windows 11 and Windows 10 operating system logos are displayed on laptop screens.

In an update to its support document, Microsoft plans to reduce the performance of its legacy OneNote app in an attempt to encourage users to use the Windows 11 OneNote app. Windows Latest first spotted the support document, which mentions how Microsoft is transferring features from the legacy (OneNote for Windows 10) app to the latest version.

Microsoft has removed the older version of OneNote from the Microsoft Store, but the software giant promised that the legacy app would not be replaced. You will still have complete control over the app, and Microsoft will not force you to switch. However, the Windows 10 end-of-support date is approaching, and as a result, the OneNote syncing will get slower.

Read more