How to Combine Text from Two Cells in Excel

Applies to: Microsoft 365 (Excel for Windows, Excel for Mac, Excel for the web); Excel 2016, 2019, 2021
Article Type: How-To
Last Updated: 2026-08-08

Summary

A first name in column A and a last name in column B is how data arrives; one full name in a single cell is how your mail merge, report, or lookup needs it. This article shows you how to combine cells with the & operator, join whole ranges with CONCAT and TEXTJOIN, and convert the results to plain text so the original columns can be deleted safely. It is the reverse of How to Split Text into Columns in Excel.

Before You Start

• The & operator works in every version of Excel. CONCAT and TEXTJOIN need Excel 2019 or newer, Microsoft 365, or Excel for the web — Steps 2 and 3 name the fallback for older versions.
• An empty column beside your data for the formulas to land in.
• Edit permission on the workbook. No admin rights required.

Instructions

The examples use first names in column A and last names in column B, with the combined result built in column C. If you would rather show Excel one finished example and let it fill in the rest without any formula, use Flash Fill instead — see How to Use Flash Fill in Excel.

1. Combine Two Cells with the & Operator

The & operator glues the contents of two cells into one, with any spacing or punctuation you supply between quote marks.

1. Click the empty cell where the combined text goes — C2 in this example. Its reference appears in the Name Box at the left end of the formula bar.
2. Type =A2&" "&B2. Type the cell references, or click cells A2 and B2 as you build the formula — clicking inserts the reference at the cursor and outlines that cell in a moving dashed border.
3. Press Enter. The cell shows the two values with a space between them: John and Smith become John Smith.
4. Point at the small square in the bottom-right corner of C2 — the fill handle — and double-click it. The formula copies down as far as the data beside it, one combined name per row.

The " " in the middle is a space inside quote marks. Everything between quote marks lands in the result exactly as typed, so =A2&" "&B2 reads as "A2, then a space, then B2". Leave it out and the names run together as JohnSmith. Swap the pieces around for other layouts: =B2&", "&A2 produces Smith, John.

Verification: Click any cell in column C and look at the formula bar — it shows the formula, while the cell shows the combined text. The result updates itself whenever the source cells change.

2. Combine a Whole Range with CONCAT

CONCAT joins every cell in a range in one pass, left to right, with nothing added between the values.

1. Click an empty cell beside your data.
2. Type =CONCAT(A2:C2) and press Enter. The values from all three cells appear as one unbroken string, in the order they sit on the sheet.

Because CONCAT adds nothing between values, it suits pieces that already carry their own punctuation — a country code column, an area code column, and a number column, for example. When you want a separator between every value, use TEXTJOIN in the next step rather than typing &" "& a dozen times.

Note: In Excel 2016 and earlier, =CONCAT returns #NAME?. Use the & operator, or the older =CONCATENATE(A2, B2, C2) — it works in every version but takes individual cells rather than a range.

3. Add Separators and Skip Blanks with TEXTJOIN

TEXTJOIN places your chosen separator between every value and, with one argument, skips empty cells instead of leaving stray separators behind.

City, state, and ZIP is the classic case. With Springfield in A2, IL in B2, and 62704 in C2:

1. Click an empty cell — D2.
2. Type =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:C2) and press Enter. The cell shows Springfield, IL, 62704.
3. Double-click the fill handle on D2 to fill the column, one combined address per row.

The three arguments, in order:

• ", " — the delimiter, placed between every pair of values. Here it is a comma followed by a space.
• TRUE — ignore empty cells. A row with no state produces Springfield, 62704 instead of Springfield, , 62704. Set it to FALSE only when you need the blanks marked.
• A2:C2 — the range to join. TEXTJOIN also accepts several ranges and single cells at once: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:C2, F2).

Note: TEXTJOIN exists in Excel 2019 and newer, Microsoft 365, and Excel for the web. In Excel 2016 and earlier it returns #NAME? — build the same result with =A2&", "&B2&", "&C2, which does not skip blanks.

4. Convert the Results to Plain Text

The combined column is still formulas pointing at the originals, so freeze it into plain text before you delete anything.

1. Select the formula column by clicking its column letter.
2. Press Ctrl + C. A moving dashed border surrounds the copied cells.
3. Right-click the same selection and, under Paste Options in the menu, click the Values icon — the clipboard marked 123.
4. Click any cell in the column and check the formula bar. It now shows the text itself — John Smith, not =A2&" "&B2. That confirms the link to the source columns is gone.
5. Delete the originals: click the first source column's letter, hold Ctrl and click the second, then right-click either letter and choose Delete. If the sheet looks wrong afterwards, press Ctrl + Z — undo restores the deleted columns and everything in them.

That is the full round trip: combine, convert, clean up. The combined column now stands on its own, and the sheet is tidier than when you started.

Troubleshooting

WARNING

Delete the source columns only after Step 4. The combined column is formulas reading those cells — remove them first and every result turns to #REF!. If that has already happened, press Ctrl + Z immediately and the columns come back with the formulas intact.

Symptom / Error	Potential Cause	Solution
The names run together as JohnSmith	No space between the references	Put " " — a space inside quote marks — between the values: =A2&" "&B2. See Step 1.
The cell shows the formula, not the result	The cell was formatted as Text before you typed	On the Home tab, open the format dropdown in the Number group, choose General, then double-click the cell and press Enter to re-enter it.
#NAME?	CONCAT or TEXTJOIN on Excel 2016 or earlier	Use the & operator or CONCATENATE — both work in every version. See Steps 2 and 3.
A date comes through as a number like 45123	& reads the date's underlying serial number	Wrap the date reference in TEXT: =A2&" "&TEXT(B2, "mm/dd/yyyy") keeps it looking like a date.
Every combined cell shows #REF!	Source columns deleted before converting to values	Press Ctrl + Z to restore them, run Step 4, then delete.

Related Articles

• How to Split Text into Columns in Excel
• How to Use Flash Fill in Excel
• How to Use IF and IFS Functions in Excel

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