Text function
Excel CONCATENATE function
CONCATENATE joins up to 255 text items into one string. It works in every version of Excel, but it needs each cell listed separately. In newer Excel, CONCAT and TEXTJOIN do the same job with less typing.
=CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...)Arguments
text1- The first item to join: text, a number, or a single cell.
text2- More items to join, up to 255 in total.
CONCATENATE examples
Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.
| A | B | C | D | |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Street | City | State | Zip |
| 2 | 18 Maple Dr | Columbus | OH | 43215 |
| 3 | 502 Bay St | Tampa | FL | 33602 |
| 4 | 9 Hill Rd | Albany | NY | 12207 |
Result: Columbus, OH
Joins city and state with a comma: "Columbus, OH".
Result: 502 Bay St, Tampa, FL 33602
Builds a full mailing address on one line.
Result: Ship to Albany
Mixes typed text with a cell value: "Ship to Albany".
How to use CONCATENATE
- Click the cell for the result.
- Type =CONCATENATE( and select the first cell.
- Add each separator in quotes and each cell, separated by commas.
- Close the bracket.
Common CONCATENATE mistakes
Passing a range
CONCATENATE(A2:D2) does not join the range. List the cells one by one, or use CONCAT or TEXTJOIN.
Forgetting separators
Nothing is added between items. Include ", " or " " as separate arguments.
CONCATENATE FAQ
Is CONCATENATE being removed from Excel?
No. It still works and is kept for compatibility, but Microsoft recommends CONCAT in Excel 2019 and later.
How do I add a space in CONCATENATE?
Put a space in quotes as its own argument: =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2).
How do I concatenate with a line break in Excel?
Use CHAR(10) as the separator, like =CONCATENATE(A2,CHAR(10),B2), then turn on Wrap Text for the cell.
Guides that use CONCATENATE
Related functions
Updated