How to Combine Two Cells in Excel: Step-by-Step Guide

Excel is one of those tools that seems simple on the surface but has hidden depths that can save you hours of tedious work. One task that comes up surprisingly often is combining data from two cells into one. Whether you’re merging first and last names, concatenating addresses, or combining any other text data, knowing how to do this efficiently can transform your spreadsheet workflow.

The good news? Excel gives you multiple ways to combine cells, each with its own advantages depending on your specific needs. Some methods are quick and visual, while others are more flexible and formula-based. We’ll walk through all of them so you can pick the approach that works best for your situation.

Before diving into combining cells, it’s worth understanding that Excel distinguishes between truly merging cells (which combines them into one) and concatenating data (which combines the content while keeping cells separate). Both have their place, and we’ll cover the nuances so you make the right choice.

Understanding the Difference: Merge vs. Concatenate

Before you start combining cells, you need to understand what you’re actually trying to accomplish. The term “combine” can mean different things in Excel, and choosing the wrong method could create problems down the line.

Merging cells literally fuses multiple cells into a single cell. This is primarily a formatting action. When you merge cells, Excel keeps the content from the top-left cell and discards the rest. This approach is useful for creating headers, titles, or visual organization in your spreadsheet. However, merged cells can cause issues with sorting, filtering, and formulas, so they’re best used sparingly and in specific scenarios.

Concatenating cells, on the other hand, combines the text content from multiple cells into a new cell while keeping the original cells intact. This is a data operation rather than just formatting. Concatenation is generally more practical for data manipulation because it preserves your original data and works seamlessly with sorting and filtering functions.

Most of the time, when people ask how to combine two cells, they actually want concatenation rather than merging. However, we’ll cover both methods so you have the complete picture.

How to Merge Cells in Excel

If you genuinely need to merge cells for formatting purposes, here’s how to do it:

1. Select the cells you want to merge: Click on the first cell and drag to select all cells you want to combine. For example, if you want to merge cells A1 and B1, click A1 and drag to B1.
2. Access the merge option: Go to the Home tab on the ribbon. Look for the “Merge & Center” button in the Alignment group. Click the small arrow next to it to see your options.
3. Choose your merge style: You’ll see options including “Merge & Center,” “Merge Across,” and “Merge Cells.” Select the one that matches your needs. “Merge & Center” centers the content and is popular for headers. “Merge Across” merges cells while keeping the alignment you’ve already set. “Merge Cells” performs a basic merge.
4. Confirm the action: Excel will show a warning if you have data in multiple cells being merged, letting you know it will keep only the content from the top-left cell. Click OK to proceed.

One important caveat: merged cells can create headaches when you’re trying to sort data or use certain functions. If you plan to work with your data extensively, concatenation is usually the better choice. If you’re just creating a title row or visual organization, merging works fine.

If you later need to unmerge cells, select the merged cell and go back to the Merge & Center dropdown, then select “Unmerge Cells.”

Using the CONCATENATE Function

Now let’s talk about the more practical approach for most data work: concatenation. The CONCATENATE function is the traditional Excel function for combining text from multiple cells.

Here’s how to use it:

1. Click on the cell where you want your combined result: Let’s say you have a first name in A1 and a last name in B1, and you want the full name in C1. Click on C1.
2. Type the formula: Enter =CONCATENATE(A1,B1)
3. Add spacing if needed: If you want a space between the first and last name, modify your formula to =CONCATENATE(A1," ",B1). The space goes inside quotation marks.
4. Press Enter: The combined result will appear in your selected cell.
5. Copy the formula down: If you have multiple rows of data, click on the cell with your formula and then drag the small square in the bottom-right corner down to apply the formula to all rows.

The CONCATENATE function is straightforward and widely recognized, making it a safe choice if you’re sharing your spreadsheet with others. However, newer versions of Excel offer more flexible alternatives.

The Ampersand (&) Method

If you find CONCATENATE a bit verbose, Excel offers a simpler alternative using the ampersand symbol (&). Many users actually prefer this method because it’s quicker to type and more intuitive once you get the hang of it.

Here’s how it works:

1. Click on your destination cell: Again, let’s use C1 for our combined full name.
2. Type the formula using ampersands: Enter =A1&" "&B1
3. Press Enter: Your combined result appears immediately.

This method is functionally identical to CONCATENATE but requires less typing. The ampersand acts as a concatenation operator, allowing you to string together as many cell references and text strings as you need. For example, if you wanted to combine three cells with commas between them, you’d write: =A1&", "&B1&", "&C1

The ampersand method is particularly useful when you’re combining multiple cells or adding various text elements. It’s also slightly more efficient in terms of processing, though the difference is negligible for most users.

Using the CONCAT Function

Excel introduced the CONCAT function as a more modern alternative to CONCATENATE. It works almost identically but with slightly cleaner syntax. If you’re using Excel 2016 or later, this is a solid option.

Here’s the basic usage:

1. Click on your destination cell: Select where you want your combined result to appear.
2. Type the CONCAT formula: Enter =CONCAT(A1," ",B1)
3. Press Enter: The combined text appears in your cell.

The CONCAT function works identically to CONCATENATE for basic use cases. The main advantage is that it’s the newer function, so if you’re working in a modern Excel environment, it signals that you’re using current best practices. It’s also slightly shorter to type than CONCATENATE.

For most users, CONCAT and CONCATENATE are interchangeable. The choice between them often comes down to personal preference or organizational standards. If your workplace uses CONCATENATE everywhere, stick with that for consistency. If you’re working on a personal project, CONCAT is perfectly fine.

Advanced: The TEXTJOIN Function

For those working with larger datasets or needing more sophisticated combining operations, the TEXTJOIN function offers powerful capabilities. This function is available in Excel 2016 and later, and it’s particularly useful when you’re combining multiple cells with consistent delimiters.

Here’s the syntax: =TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)

Let’s break down what each part means:

• Delimiter: This is the character or text that will appear between your combined values. It could be a comma, space, dash, or any text you choose. Put it in quotation marks.
• Ignore_empty: This is TRUE or FALSE. If TRUE, empty cells are ignored. If FALSE, empty cells create blank spaces in your result.
• Text1, text2, etc.: These are the cells or text strings you want to combine.

Here’s a practical example: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A1:A5) would combine cells A1 through A5 with commas and spaces between them, ignoring any empty cells.

TEXTJOIN is particularly powerful because you can use cell ranges instead of listing individual cells. This saves tremendous time when working with large datasets. It also handles empty cells gracefully, which is often an issue with other concatenation methods.

Practical Examples and Use Cases

Let’s look at some real-world scenarios where combining cells becomes valuable:

Creating Full Names: You have first names in column A and last names in column B. You want full names in column C. Use =A1&" "&B1 and copy down. Simple and effective.

Building Addresses: Street address in A, city in B, state in C, zip in D. Combine them with =A1&", "&B1&", "&C1&" "&D1. This creates a formatted address string you can use for mailing lists or display purposes.

Creating Email-like Identifiers: First name in A, last name in B. Create a username format with =LOWER(A1&"."&B1). The LOWER function converts everything to lowercase, which is common for email addresses or usernames.

When you’re working with formulas, you might also want to understand how to add up a column in Excel if your combined data includes numerical values that need calculation. Additionally, if you need to reorganize your data after combining, knowing how to move columns in Excel gives you flexibility in your layout.

If you’re creating a large dataset with combined cells, you might want to alphabetize in Excel to sort your results alphabetically. This is particularly useful when you’ve combined names and want them in order.

For spreadsheets where you want your combined data to display nicely, you can wrap text in Excel so longer combined strings display properly in their cells without running over into adjacent columns.

If you’re building a complex spreadsheet with multiple sections, you might want to freeze cells in Excel to keep headers visible while scrolling, or lock a row in Excel to protect your header row from accidental editing.

Converting Text to Proper Format: If your data is in various cases, use =PROPER(A1&" "&B1) to ensure proper capitalization in the combined result.

Adding Prefixes or Suffixes: Need to add “Mr.” before names? Use ="Mr. "&A1&" "&B1. This adds a prefix and combines the data in one formula.

The key to using these formulas effectively is understanding your data structure and what output you need. Most combinations follow similar logic: you’re pulling data from existing cells, adding text connectors as needed, and placing the result in a new cell.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the difference between merging and concatenating cells?

Merging physically combines cells into one, keeping only the top-left cell’s content. Concatenating combines the text content from multiple cells into a new cell using formulas. Concatenation is generally better for data work because it preserves original data and works with sorting and filtering.

Can I combine cells without losing data?

Yes, absolutely. Using formulas like CONCATENATE, CONCAT, or the ampersand method keeps your original cells intact and creates a new combined result elsewhere. Only the merge function actually removes data, which is why concatenation is preferred for most data work.

What if I want to combine cells with a specific separator?

Use the ampersand method or TEXTJOIN function. For example, =A1&"-"&B1 adds a dash between values. TEXTJOIN is even more powerful for this: =TEXTJOIN("-", TRUE, A1:A5) joins a range with dashes as separators.

How do I apply a combining formula to multiple rows at once?

Enter your formula in the first cell, then click and drag the small square in the bottom-right corner of that cell down to all rows where you want the formula applied. Excel automatically adjusts the cell references for each row.

Can I combine cells if some are empty?

Yes, but results vary by method. TEXTJOIN with TRUE as the second parameter ignores empty cells. Other methods will include empty spaces. If you want to handle empty cells differently, you can use IF statements within your formula.

Which method is best for large datasets?

TEXTJOIN is best for large datasets because you can apply it to entire ranges at once. For example, =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A1:A1000) combines 1000 cells in one formula, which is much faster than copying a formula down individually.

Is there a limit to how many cells I can combine?

Technically no, but practically yes. Excel formulas have character limits (around 32,000 characters), so you can’t combine infinitely many cells. For most real-world purposes, you’ll never hit this limit.

What if my data is in a table format?

You can still use any of these methods. If you’re using Excel tables, the formulas work the same way, and you can use structured references if you prefer. The process remains identical whether your data is in a regular range or a formatted table.