How to Use CONCAT in Excel: Simple Guide and Examples

Use the CONCAT function in Excel to join text from multiple cells or strings into one combined text. Enter =CONCAT(text1, text2, ...) where each argument is a cell or text you want to join.

Syntax

The CONCAT function combines multiple text items into one continuous text string.

• text1, text2, ...: These are the text items or cell references you want to join together. You can add as many as you need.

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=CONCAT(text1, text2, ...)

Example

This example shows how to join first and last names from two cells into one full name.

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=CONCAT(A2, " ", B2)

Output

John Smith

Common Pitfalls

One common mistake is forgetting to add spaces or separators between joined texts, which causes words to run together.

Also, CONCAT does not automatically add spaces or punctuation, so you must include them explicitly as text arguments.

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=CONCAT(A2,B2)  // Output: "JohnSmith" (no space)<br>=CONCAT(A2, " ", B2)  // Output: "John Smith" (correct with space)

Quick Reference

Tips for using CONCAT:

• Use double quotes " " to add spaces or punctuation between texts.
• CONCAT replaces the older CONCATENATE function but works similarly.
• It can join text, numbers, and cell references.
• For ranges, use TEXTJOIN if you want delimiters automatically.

Key Takeaways

Use CONCAT to join multiple text items or cells into one string.

Include spaces or punctuation explicitly inside CONCAT to separate words.

CONCAT replaces CONCATENATE but works the same way with simpler syntax.

For joining ranges with separators, consider using TEXTJOIN instead.