How to Combine Cells in Excel

If you’re looking to improve your Microsoft Excel skills, knowing how to combine cells can come in handy. Whether you need to merge a few cells into one, or combine the text from two or more cells into one cell, it’s a useful feature that can save you time and effort. In this blog post, we’ll walk you through how to combine cells in Excel with step-by-step instructions that are easy to follow. By the end of this post, you’ll have a solid understanding of how to merge cells in different ways, and you’ll be able to handle a variety of different tasks with ease.

Merging cells in Excel

The first step to combining cells is to decide which cells you want to merge. Click and hold down the left mouse button on the first cell you want to merge, then drag the cursor to include the other cells. You can also click on each cell individually while holding down the Ctrl key on your keyboard. Once you’ve selected the cells you want to merge, right-click on any selected cell and choose “Format Cells.”

Merging cells horizontally

If you want to merge the cells horizontally, select the “Alignment” tab, and then check the “Merge cells” box. Click “OK,” and the selected cells will be merged into one cell.

Merging cells vertically

To merge cells vertically, select the “Alignment” tab, and then check the “Merge cells” box. In the “Vertical” drop-down menu, select “Center” or “Middle.” Click “OK,” and the selected cells will be merged into one cell.

Combining text from multiple cells

If you want to combine the text from multiple cells into one cell, you can use the “&” symbol. For example, let’s say you have two cells, A1 and B1, that contain the text “John” and “Doe,” respectively. To combine these cells, you would enter the following formula into a new cell:

=A1&" "&B1

The result would be “John Doe” in the new cell.

Adding a separator

If you want to add a separator between the text, such as a comma or a hyphen, you can add it within the formula. For example:

=A1&", "&B1

The result would be “John, Doe” in the new cell.

Final thoughts

Combining cells in Excel can be a quick and simple task that can save you a lot of time. Now that you know how to merge cells horizontally and vertically, as well as combine text from multiple cells, you’ll be able to work with data in Excel more efficiently than ever before. Just be sure to save your work frequently and remember to double-check your results!

Using the CONCATENATE function

Combining text from multiple cells can also be accomplished using the CONCATENATE function. This function accepts two or more arguments and returns them as a single text string. For example:

=CONCATENATE(A1, " ", B1)

The result would be the same as the previous example, “John Doe” in the new cell. You can also use cell references as arguments, making this function more flexible than using the “&” symbol.

Merging cells with a line break

If you want to merge cells and have the result displayed on multiple lines, you can use the “Wrap Text” feature in Excel. First, merge the cells as you normally would. Then, select the merged cell and click on the “Wrap Text” button in the “Home” tab. This will allow the text to wrap within the cell, displaying each line of text as a separate line within the cell.

Undoing a merge

Accidentally merging cells is a common mistake that can create problems in your spreadsheet. Fortunately, undoing a merge is easy in Excel. Simply select the merged cell and click “Unmerge Cells” from the “Alignment” tab. This will restore the individual cells as they were before they were merged.

Combining cells in Excel is a useful tool for working with data, especially when dealing with large datasets. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can quickly and easily merge cells horizontally or vertically, combine text from multiple cells, and use the CONCATENATE function to create complex strings of text. As with any task in Excel, remember to save your work frequently and double-check your results.

FAQ

Here are some common questions that users may ask when combining cells in Excel:

Can I merge cells with data and keep that data in the merged cell?

Yes, when you merge cells, the data from the upper-left most cell is used as the data for the new merged cell. All other data is discarded.

Is there a limit to the number of cells I can merge at one time?

No, you can merge any number of cells you like, horizontally or vertically. However, merging too many cells may make your data difficult to read and manipulate.

Can I split a merged cell back into individual cells?

Yes, you can split a merged cell back into individual cells by selecting the merged cell and clicking “Unmerge Cells” from the “Alignment” tab. This will restore the individual cells as they were before they were merged.

What is the maximum number of characters I can enter into a merged cell?

The maximum number of characters you can enter into a merged cell depends on the version of Excel you are using and the specifics of your data. In general, Excel versions 2007 and newer have a limit of 32,767 characters per cell, but this can vary depending on factors such as font size and width of the cell.

Can I merge cells and still be able to sort my data?

Yes, you can merge cells and still sort your data, but you need to be careful when doing so. When you merge cells, the contents of all the cells are combined into one cell, and only the data from the upper-left most cell is retained. This means that if you sort your data based on the merged cells, you are effectively sorting based on only one piece of data, which may not be what you want.