In Excel: use =CONCATENATE(text1, text2, ...) — it joins several text items into one string; in modern Excel the same job is done by CONCAT or simply the & operator.
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
text1 | required | The first text item to join — a cell reference or a string in quotes. |
text2, ... | optional | Optional further items to append, one after another; up to 255 in total. |
Related functions
3 rows joined
What this does
CONCATENATE glues together text from cells and typed strings into a single value. You list each piece as an argument and it appends them in order, with no spaces added — you insert any separators yourself as " " arguments. CONCATENATE is now legacy: Excel 2016 and later replace it with CONCAT (which also accepts whole ranges), and the & operator (=A1&" "&B1) does exactly the same thing more compactly. All three produce identical results. Keep the inputs visible and clearly labelled and the whole thing stays auditable — anyone who opens the file later, including you, can see at a glance exactly what feeds the result and change one assumption without hunting through the formula. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “concatenate with comma”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected cells visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a text operation that turns messy entries into clean, usable data, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
A first name sits in A2 ("Maria") and a last name in B2 ("Klein"). To join them with a space between: =CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2) returns "Maria Klein". The middle " " argument supplies the space; without it you would get "MariaKlein". The same result comes from =A2&" "&B2 or, in newer Excel, =CONCAT(A2, " ", B2). CONCATENATE remains common in older workbooks, but for new formulas the & operator or CONCAT is shorter and TEXTJOIN handles ranges, so reach for those when you can. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
If you are in Google Sheets rather than Excel, the good news is that the formula shown here is identical and the workflow barely changes — menus sit across the top instead of in a ribbon, and a few function names differ slightly, but anything you build here moves across with little or no rework. Nothing on this page is behind a login: the tool runs entirely in your browser, the formula is shown in full with one-click copy, and the steps work the same on Windows and Mac. That is the whole promise here — the exact answer, a way to prove it on your own numbers, and just enough context to make it stick. The short version of “concatenate with comma”: the answer is at the top of this page, the tool proves it on your own numbers, and the sections above explain why it holds so the next variation does not stump you. Excel rewards people who reference cells instead of typing values and who keep inputs separate from formulas, because that is what makes a result you can audit months later. Build it once, deliberately, with the live tool as a check, and you convert a one-off lookup into a reusable skill — which is the whole point of learning the why and not just the what.
Common mistakes
- Forgetting the separator argument, so "Maria" and "Klein" run together as "MariaKlein" with no space.
- Expecting
CONCATENATEto accept a range likeA2:A6— it joins single items only; useCONCATorTEXTJOINto join a range. - Typing text without quotes, so words like a literal space or label trigger a
#NAME?error instead of appearing as text.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between CONCATENATE, CONCAT and &?
They all join text. CONCATENATE is the legacy function; CONCAT (Excel 2016+) replaces it and can also take whole ranges; the & operator, as in =A1&" "&B1, does the same thing with less typing. Use & or CONCAT in new work.
How do I add a space between joined values?
Insert " " (a space in quotes) as its own argument between the cells: =CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2). For a comma and space use ", " instead.
Can CONCATENATE join a whole range at once?
No — it takes items one by one. To join a range such as A2:A6, use TEXTJOIN, which accepts a range and a delimiter, or CONCAT, which accepts ranges in newer Excel.