Excel How to Combine Columns into One Column?

Combine text from two or more cells into one cell

You can combine data from multiple cells into a single cell using the Ampersand symbol (&) or the CONCAT function.

Create a new column and select. write this function: change the column letters which you want to combine:

 =A:A&” “&D:D

Press tick. Also you can copy the column then paste with values (instead of dynamic values). Then delete the old columns.

Combine data with the Ampersand symbol (&)

  1. Select the cell where you want to put the combined data.
  2. Type = and select the first cell you want to combine.
  3. Type & and use quotation marks with a space enclosed.
  4. Select the next cell you want to combine and press enter. An example formula might be =A2&” “&B2.

Combine data using the CONCAT function

  1. Select the cell where you want to put the combined data.
  2. Type =CONCAT(.
  3. Select the cell you want to combine first.

    Use commas to separate the cells you are combining and use quotation marks to add spaces, commas, or other text.

  4. Close the formula with a parenthesis and press Enter. An example formula might be =CONCAT(A2, ” Family”).

How to Combine Two Columns in Microsoft Excel (Quick and Easy Method)

You can save time by using numerous columns in Excel rather than manually merging them. To join columns in Excel, follow these steps.

You do not need to manually integrate data if you are using Excel and it is spread over numerous columns. Instead, you can merge columns quickly and simply using a formula.

Using the & symbol or the CONCAT function, we’ll demonstrate how to combine two or more columns in Excel. We’ll also provide formatting advice so you can make the data seem exactly the way you want it to.

Excel Column Combine Techniques

1. How to Combine Excel Columns With the Ampersand Symbol

  1. Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
  2. Type =
  3. Click the first cell you want to combine.
  4. Type &
  5. Click the second cell you want to combine.
  6. Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cells A2 and B2, the formula would be: =A2&B2

2. How to Combine Excel Columns With the CONCAT Function

  1. Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
  2. Type =CONCAT(
  3. Click the first cell you want to combine.
  4. Type ,
  5. Click the second cell you want to combine.
  6. Type )
  7. Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cell A2 and B2, the formula would be: =CONCAT(A2,B2)

Instead of CONCAT, this formula used to be CONCATENATE. When combining two columns in Excel, using the former works, but it is deteriorating, therefore you should use the latter to guarantee compatibility with present and future Excel versions.

How to Combine More Than Two Excel Cells

You can combine as many cells as you want using either method. Simply repeat the formatting like so:

  • =A2&B2&C2&D2
  • =CONCAT(A2,B2,C2,D2)

How to Combine the Entire Excel Column

Once the formula has been entered into one cell, you can utilize it to have the remaining cells in the column filled out automatically. It’s not necessary to manually write in the names of all the cells you want to combine.

To do this, double-click the bottom-right corner of the filled cell. Alternatively, left-click and drag the bottom-right corner of the filled cell down the column. It’s an Excel AutoFill trick to build spreadsheets faster.

Some Guidelines for Formatting Combining Columns in Excel

You might have text, numbers, dates, and more in your merged Excel columns. As a result, leaving the cells concatenated without formatting isn’t always appropriate.

Here are several suggestions on how to format joined cells to aid you. Although we will use the ampersand approach in our examples, the CONCAT formula follows the same reasoning.

1. How to Put a Space Between Combined Cells

You would need a gap between the cells if there were a “First name” column and a “Last name” column.

The formula would be =A2&” “&B2 to do this.

According to this equation, you should first add the contents of A2 and B2, then add a space.

It is not required to be a space. Anything you choose, such as a comma, a dash, or any other sign or text, may be inserted between speech marks.

2. How to Add Additional Text Within Combined Cells

The original text of the combined cells need not be present. You are free to include any other information you choose.

If someone’s name is in cell A2 (Marge Simpson, for example) and their age is in cell B2 (e.g., 36). This information can be used to construct the sentence “Marge Simpson is 36 years old.”

This could be accomplished by writing the formula: “The character “&A2&” is “&B2&” years old.”

An & is placed after the additional text, which is enclosed in speech marks. When referring to a cell, speech marks are not necessary. Ensure to include where the spaces should go; so “The character ” with a space at the end.

3. How to Correctly Display Numbers in Combined Cells

You’ll notice that the merged cell removes the formatting if your original cells contain numbers that are formatted, such as dates or currencies.

The TEXT function, which you can use to define the necessary format, can help you resolve this.

Let’s imagine someone’s name is in cell A2 (Marge Simpson, for example) and their birthdate is in cell B2 (January 2, 1980, for example).

You can consider using the following equation to combine them: =A2&” was born on “&B2

Yet that will provide the following: Marge Simpson was born on 29252. Excel changes the properly formatted date of birth into a plain number, which is why.

You can instruct Excel on how to format the combined cell by using the TEXT function. In the following format: =A2&” was born on “&TEXT(B2,”dd/mm/yyyy”

That’s a little trickier than the other formulas, so here’s how it works:

  • =A2 – merge cell A2.
  • &” was born on “ – add the text “was born on” with a space on both sides.
  • &TEXT – add something with the text function.
  • (B2,”dd/mm/yyyy”) – merge cell B2, and apply the format of dd/mm/yyyy to the contents of that field

You can change the format to suit the number’s needs. For instance, $#,##0.00 would display money with a thousand separator and two decimal places, whereas #?/? would convert a decimal to a fraction and H:MM AM/PM would display the time.

How to Remove the Formula From Combined Columns

You’ll note that when you click a cell in the combined column, the formula (like =A2&” “&B2) remains there instead of the plain text (e.g., Marge Simpson).

This is not a problem. It implies that the combined cell will automatically update to reflect changes made to the original cells (for example, A2 and B2) whenever the original cells (e.g.

It does, however, imply that deleting the original cells or columns will result in the breakdown of your combined cells. As a result, you might want to convert the combined column’s formula to plain text instead.

To accomplish this, right-click the combined column’s heading to highlight it, then select Copy.

Then, right-click the combined column’s heading again, but this time choose Values under Paste Options. Now that the formula is gone, the cells are just simple text, which you may alter right away.

How to Merge Columns in Excel

In Excel, you can combine columns in addition to combining them. As a result, several horizontal cells will merge into a single cell. When cells are combined, only the values from the upper-left cell are retained; the remainder is discarded.

Choose the cells or columns you want to combine in order to do this. Click the Merge & Center button in the Ribbon’s Home tab (or use the dropdown arrow next to it).

 

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/combine-text-from-two-or-more-cells-into-one-cell-81ba0946-ce78-42ed-b3c3-21340eb164a6

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