Text function
Excel TEXTJOIN function
TEXTJOIN joins text from a range and puts a delimiter, like a comma or space, between each item. It can also skip empty cells. Use it for comma-separated lists, full names, or tag strings.
=TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, ...)Arguments
delimiter- The text to put between items, like ", " or " ".
ignore_empty- TRUE to skip blank cells, FALSE to include them.
text1- The first item or range to join.
TEXTJOIN examples
Every result below was calculated from this sample sheet by the same spreadsheet engine the Cellwise app uses.
| A | B | C | D | E | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Project | Owner | Tag 1 | Tag 2 | Tag 3 |
| 2 | Website refresh | Jo | design | urgent | |
| 3 | Q4 budget | Sam | finance | review | board |
| 4 | Hiring plan | Ola | hr |
Result: finance, review, board
Joins all three tags with commas: "finance, review, board".
Result: design, urgent
The blank tag is skipped, so there is no double comma.
Result: design, , urgent
With FALSE the blank is kept, giving "design, , urgent".
Result: Jo / Sam / Ola
Lists every project owner on one line.
How to use TEXTJOIN
- Click the cell for the joined list.
- Type =TEXTJOIN( and the delimiter in quotes.
- Type TRUE to skip blanks.
- Select the range to join and close the bracket.
Common TEXTJOIN mistakes
Forgetting the ignore_empty argument
It is required. =TEXTJOIN(", ",A2:A5) is missing an argument, so Excel will not accept it. Add TRUE before the range.
Result over 32,767 characters
Excel cells hold up to 32,767 characters. Longer results give #VALUE!.
TEXTJOIN FAQ
How do I combine cells with a comma in Excel?
Use =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,A2:A10). It adds a comma and space between each value and skips blanks.
What is the difference between TEXTJOIN and CONCAT?
TEXTJOIN adds a delimiter between items and can skip empty cells. CONCAT just glues everything together.
Can TEXTJOIN join values that meet a condition?
Yes, in Excel 365: =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,FILTER(A2:A10,B2:B10="Open")) lists only the open items.
Guides that use TEXTJOIN
- How to combine first and last name in Excel
- How to concatenate with a space in Excel
- How to extract numbers from a string in Excel
- How to return multiple matches in Excel
- Excel formulas cheat sheet: the 25 everyone should know
Related functions
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