In Excel: put =A2&" "&B2 in a new column to glue the two side-by-side cells together, or =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2) for several columns at once; copy the formula down the whole column.
3 rows joined
What this does
Combining columns takes the value from each row of two (or more) neighbouring columns and writes them into a single new column, row by row down the whole table — first name beside last name becomes one full-name column. The ampersand (&) joins the two cells of a row with whatever literal text you put in quotes between them, and you copy that one formula down so every row is combined at once. TEXTJOIN does the same across a wider band of columns, taking the separator a single time. This is a per-row column operation, quite different from joining a couple of stray cells or visually merging cells into one box. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. Treat “combine 2 columns in excel” as a small repeatable workflow rather than a one-off click you hope to remember next time. Use a small test block before the live file, so any surprise in the affected columns shows up while it is still harmless. 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. That turns a text operation that turns messy entries into clean, usable data into a method you can reuse, explain, and defend when the workbook leaves your screen.
A worked example
Column A holds first names and column B holds last names, with "Ada" in A2 and "Lovelace" in B2. In C2 type =A2&" "&B2 and press Enter: C2 reads "Ada Lovelace", the " " supplying the space between them. Double-click the fill handle and the formula copies down so every row of column C combines its A and B. For three columns at once, =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2) joins A2, B2 and C2 with single spaces. No formula at all? Type the first combined result by hand, then press Ctrl+E (Flash Fill) and Excel fills the rest from the pattern. Combining columns is how you fold scattered fields into the single column a mail merge, import or lookup expects — first + last into full name, street + city into one address line. It is the everyday inverse of splitting one column into several. 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
Everything above works in Google Sheets too. Excel and Sheets share the formula syntax used here; only the surrounding menus are arranged differently. That portability is deliberate — learn it once and it follows you between the two tools and across Windows and Mac. Keep this page bookmarked for the next time the same question comes up. Better still, rebuild the example once in your own sheet — doing it yourself, with the tool above to check against, is what turns a copied formula into a technique you own. Here is the takeaway for “combine 2 columns in excel”: copy the answer if you are busy, but if you have a spare few minutes, rebuild the example in Excel yourself with the tool above open beside it. That single pass — type it, run it, watch the result move when you change an input — is what turns a formula you found into a technique you trust. Keep your inputs labelled and referenced, never hard-coded, and the same sheet stays correct and auditable as it grows. Done that way, you will not need to look this up again, and you will be the person others ask.
Common mistakes
- Reaching for Merge & Center — that visually fuses cells and keeps only the top-left value, it does not combine the two columns row by row.
- Forgetting the separator, so "Ada" and "Lovelace" run together as "AdaLovelace".
- Deleting the source columns A and B while the new column still holds live
=A2&B2formulas — copy the result and Paste Special ▸ Values first. - Combining a number or date directly and losing its formatting — wrap it in TEXT() to keep it readable.
Frequently asked questions
How do I combine two columns without a formula?
Type the combined result for the first row by hand, then press Ctrl+E (Flash Fill). Excel detects the pattern and fills the rest of the column instantly — no formula required.
How do I combine more than two columns?
Use =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2): it takes the separator once and joins the whole span A2:C2, with the TRUE skipping any empty cells.
Can I delete the original columns afterwards?
Not while the formula references them. First select the new column, copy it, then Paste Special ▸ Values to freeze the text — only then is it safe to delete columns A and B.
Other ways people ask this
On the way here you may have searched this as “combine 2 columns in excel”, “how do you combine 2 columns in excel”, “how to sort 2 columns in excel” and “how to select 2 columns in excel” — it is all the same task, and this page is the single, complete answer to it.
Platform & version notes
- Several of those searches mention Google Sheets — and the good news is that "combine 2 columns in excel" works there almost identically: the formula syntax carries over unchanged, only the surrounding menus sit across the top of the screen instead of in a ribbon.
Can I do this in Google Sheets too?
Yes. "combine 2 columns in excel" carries over to Google Sheets with the same formula and almost the same steps — the menus are arranged differently, but the result is identical.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “combine 2 columns in excel”, “how do you combine 2 columns in excel”, “how to sort 2 columns in excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.