Home > Formulas > Text > Combine Text How to Combine Cells in Excel Use Excel formulas to combine the contents of two or more cells, to display in another cell. For example, join first name and last name, to show the full name in one cell. You can also combine text strings in Excel formulas, without referring to other cells. Also see: How to Merge Cells

A) Combine Text from Two Cells

In Excel, there are several types of operators, such as + (add), - (subtract), * (multiply) and / (divide).

To combine text, you can use an ampersand (&), which is the concatenation operator. It can join text with other text, numbers or dates.

Example: Combine Text from 2 Cells

In this example, there is a list of names:

• Last names in column A
• First names in column B.

To combine the first and last names in row 2, type this formula in cell C2:

• =B2 & A2

The first and last names are combined, but will look better with a space between them.

Add Space Character

To separate the combined names, you can add a space character between them.

In cell C2, change the formula to include a space character, enclosed in double quote marks:   & " "

• =B2 & " " & A2

Tip: To include a text string in a formula, you must enclose the text in double quote marks

Other Separator Characters

Instead of using a space character, you can use other characters to separate the combined cell values.

For example, when combining Last Name and First Name, you could use a comma and space, or use a semi-colon and space.

In the screen shot below, I used these formulas:

• =B2 & " " & A2

Add Line Break to Combined Text

Another way to separate combined text is with a line break, to create two lines in the formula result.

• To create a line break, use the Excel CHAR function in the formula.
• This is like typing Alt+Enter in a cell that contains text.

To combine the first and last names in row 2, with a line break between them, I used this formula in cell C2:

• =B2 & CHAR(10) & A2

Turn on Wrap Text

After you add a line break in an Excel formula, be sure to turn on the Wrap Text setting.

• Select the cell with the line break , and on the Excel Ribbon, go to the Home tab
• Next, in the Alignment group, click the Wrap Text command
• 

In the screen shot below, Wrap Text is applied, and the first and last names are on 2 lines in the cell.

Tip: To line up the cell entries, select all the cells, and change the Vertical alignment to Top

Combine Text and Formatted Numbers

First, you can watch this short video, to see how to combine cells in Excel, with text and number format in the result. There are written steps below the video.

Video Timeline

• 0:00 Simple Formula
• 0:52 Add Formatting
• 1:41 Another Date Format
• 2:04 Add the Year
• 2:29 More Formats

Tip: The full video transcript is on the Combine Text Videos page, if you'd like to read it.

Combine Cells with Text and Numbers

You can combine cells to join a text string with a number from another cell. In this example, text will be added to the payment terms.

1. Select the cell in which you want the combined data
2. Type the formula, with text inside double quotes. For example: ="Due in " & A3 & " days"
   Tip: To separate the text strings from the numbers, end or begin each text string with a space, like this: "Due in "
3. Press Enter to complete the formula

Combine Text and Formatted Date

When you combine text with a date, you can format it by using the TEXT function. Without formatting, the date will appear as a number, as in the screen shot below

For example, this simple formula combines a text string ("Today is ") with the TODAY function:

• ="Today is " & TODAY()

When you press Enter, the date appears as a 5-digit number, without any date formatting.

• Today is 45511

Dates are stored as numbers in Excel, and without date formatting, you just get the plain number!

Add Date Formatting

To combine a text string with a formatted date, use the Excel TEXT function to format the date.

Follow these steps to create the formula:

1. Select the cell where you want the combined data
2. Type the formula, with text inside double quotes, and the date inside the TEXT function. For example, to show the full weekday name, for the current date:
   ="Today is " & TEXT(TODAY(),"dddd")
   
3. Press Enter to complete the formula

How the TEXT Function works

In the Excel TEXT function: TEXT(TODAY(),"dddd")

1. Date is the first argument,
2. Formatting is the second argument.

In this example:

• The TODAY function returns the current date.
• The "dddd" formats the date as the full weekday name -- Tuesday

A few more date formats are in the screen shot shown below:

• "mm-dd-yyyy"
• "yyyymmdd"
• "ddd mmm dd yyyy"

NOTE: For other languages, use the applicable date codes, such as "jjjj" for the weekday name in French. To see how to switch between languages, download my sample file from the Functions section on my Excel Sample Files page. Look for FN0046 - Change Language for TEXT Function.

Formatting Examples

Here are a few more examples of using the TEXT function to format numbers within a formula.

• Format a date as month/day/year:
  •   ="Payment is due " & TEXT(A2,"mm/dd/yyyy")
• Format a number as currency:
  •   ="Amount due: " & TEXT(A3,"$#,##0.00")& " USD"
• Format a number as a percentage:
  •    ="Your score is " & TEXT(A4,"0.00%")
• Format a number as a fraction:
  •    ="Hours worked: " & TEXT(A5,"# ?/?")

Tip: There are more examples of Custom number formats on the Microsoft website

More Ways to Combine Text in Excel

C1) Combine Text Strings in Formula

In an Excel formula, you can include text strings, inside double quote marks. However, there is a limitation to the length of those text strings.

• Excel 365: Text strings inside an Excel formula must be 4095 characters, or fewer.
• Older Versions: Text strings inside an Excel formula must be 255 characters, or fewer.

C1.1) Text String Limit Workaround

In this short video, I show the problem with long text strings in an Excel formula. Then, I show how to create 2 or more shorter text strings, and combine them, as a workaround for the text string length limitation.

For example, instead of adding more characters to the original text string, add new text strings in the formula.

• Keep each text string under the character limit
• Use the & character to combine them.
  • ="text01 " & "text02 " & "original text string...."

✅ To follow along with the video, download the Excel Text String Limit sample file.

C2) Combine Text From 2 or More Cells

✅ If you need to combine text from two cells, I recommend using the ampersand operator, as shown in the examples above.

However, there are other ways to combine text, so check the following options, to see what will work best in your Excel file.

C2.1) Excel 2016 and Earlier

• ✅ Ampersand: To combine text items from two or more cells into one cell, in Excel 2016 or earlier versions, the best method is the ampersand operator. For example, this simple formula combines the contents from two cells, with a space character between them:
  • =A2 & " " & B2
• ❌ CONCATENATE: Excel's CONCATENATE function combines two or more text strings, but it does not have any features that make it easier to combine text. You still need to list each item or cell address, and you have to type a long, complicated function name!
  • =CONCATENATE(A2," " ,B2)

C2.2) Excel 365, or Excel 2019 and Later

• ✅ TEXTJOIN: To combine text items from two or more cells into one cell, in Excel 365, or Excel 2019 and later versions, the best method in most cases is the TEXTJOIN function. The video below shows TEXTJOIN examples.
• ❌ CONCAT: Excel's CONCAT function combines two or more text strings, but it does not have any features that make it easier to combine text. You still need to list each item or cell address. It replaces the old CONCATENATE function, so at least you can type a shorter function name!
  • =CONCAT(A2," " ,B2)

C2.3) Video: TEXTJOIN Function

This short video shows a couple of TEXTJOIN formula examples, and there are written steps, sample files, and more examples, on the Excel TEXTJOIN function examples page.

Get the Excel Files ✅

• Combine Basic: This Excel file has combine text examples with the & operator, and number formatting. The zipped file is in xlsx format, and does not contain macros.
• Text String Limit: To follow along with the text string character limit video, download the Excel Text String Limit sample file.

🐰 Down the Rabbit Hole 🐰

In this section, you'll find related Excel tips, shortcuts, skills, and details. These things are nice to know, but not essential, so you can skip this section, and get back to work. Or dive in, for some extra Excel fun and knowledge!

--a) Function Spotlight

--b) Excel Glossary

--c) Custom Number Format Examples

a) Function Spotlight

Here are the key Excel functions that I used for these examples.

CHAR Function: This function returns a specified character, for the number entered. The number that I use most often is 10, for a line break. Read more about the CHAR function.

TEXT Function : This function returns a number that is a formatted text string, based on the number format that you specify. For example, this formula returns 12.34 as $12.3:

      =TEXT(12.34,"$#0.00")

Read more about the TEXT function, on the Microsoft site.

b) Excel Glossary

Combine or Merge: Outside of Microsoft Excel, the words combine and merge have a similar meaning. However, when you're working in Excel, where there is an important difference between the two words:

• Combine: The examples on this page show how to combine the contents of two or more different cells, to display in another cell, by using a formula. For example, join first name and last names, to show the full name in one cell.
  • 
• Merge: In Excel, you can merge two or more adjacent cells into one larger single cell. Only the contents of the top left cell are kept. Read more about merging cells.
  • 

Video: Merge Cells or Combine Text?

This short video shows the difference between merging cells, and combining cell values with a formula.

c) Custom Number Format Examples

You don't have to use a formula to combine text and numbers. Another way to combine a bit of text, with dates or numbers, is to use a custom number format on a number cell.

Benefits of Custom Number Format:

• With this method, the dates or numbers do not change to text.
• Number cells can still be used in other calculations, as numeric values.
• Only the cell appearance is changed, not the cell value.

Custom Number Format Example

In the screen shot below, cell B4 has a formula that returns the current date:

• =TODAY()

To include text in that date cell, I applied a custom number format, using these steps:

1. Right-click cell B4, and click Format Cells
2. On the Number tab, click on the Custom category
3. In the Type box, the selected date format will appear, such as:
• [$-en-US]d-mmm-yy;@
4. To add text before and/or after the date, type the text inside double quote mark. For example:
• "Today is "[$-en-US]d-mmm-yy". Enjoy!";@
5. In the Sample box, check that the format looks correct
6. Finally, click OK, to apply the custom number formatting

Get Monthly Excel Tips!

Don't miss my monthly Excel newsletter! You'll get quick tips, article links, and a bit of fun. Add your email, and click Sign Up.

Next, when you get my reply, click the Confirm button. I add this step to protect you from spam!

More Function Tutorials

Text Limit, Formulas

CHAR function

ADDRESS Function

HTML Code, Create

TEXTSPLIT Function

INDEX / MATCH Functions

TEXTJOIN Function

		How to Sum in Excel Examples show how to sum in Microsoft Excel, with a simple SUM function, or formulas that sum based on one or more criteria. See how to fix formula problems, and for more power, use SUMIF, SUMFS, SUMPRODUCT, SUBTOTAL or AGGREGATE. Step-by-step videos, written instructions, sample files to download.
		Split or Reverse Names Quickly split first and last names into separate cells, with Excel tricks or formulas. See how to reverse order of names, from "Smith, Mary" to "Mary Smith". Step-by-step videos, written instructions, sample files to download.