Merge column with excel

Summary:

Does merging rows and columns in Excel seems a tough task for you to perform? Read this tutorial to learn different ways to merge rows and columns in Excel.

Microsoft Excel is a very useful application and can be used for performing various tasks. This is the reason Excel provides various useful functions to make the task easy for the users.

One of the most common tasks that everyone needs performing now and then is merging rows and columns.

But the problem is that performing this is not an easy task and Excel does not provide any tool to do this.

This is quite complicated as merging rows and columns in some cases causes data loss.

As while trying to combine two or more rows in the worksheet by making use of the Merge & Center button (Home tab > Alignment group), you will start getting the error message:

“The selection contains multiple data values. Merging into one cell will keep the upper-left most data only.”

And if you click OK, merged cells would contain just the value of the top-left cell and as a result, entire other data will be removed.

So this is what leads you to Panic situation!!!

To get rid of this, today in this article I am sharing different ways to easily merge rows and columns in excel without losing any data.

Below check out the fixes on how to merge rows in Excel or how to merge columns in Excel.

There are different methods for combining row and columns text in Excel. Here check the ways one by one to merge data without losing it. First, check how to merge rows in Excel.

Part 1# How To Merge Rows in Excel

When it comes to merging the Excel rows there are two ways that allow you to merge rows data easily.

1. Merge Excel rows using a formula
2. Combine multiple rows using the Merge Cells add-in

1. How to Merge Multiple Rows using Excel Formulas

Excel provides various formulas that help you combine data from different rows. Possibly the easiest one is the CONCATENATE function. So here checks out some examples for concatenating numerous rows into one:

• Merge rows with spaces between data: For example =CONCATENATE(B1,” “,B2,” “,B3)
• Combine rows without any space between the values: For example =CONCATENATE(A1,A2,A3)
• Merge rows > separate the values with comma: For Example =CONCATENATE(A1,”, “,A2,”, “,A3)

Now check how the CONCATENATE formula works on the real data.

• On the sheet choose an empty cell and type the formula into it. Type the formula as per the data rows
• And copy the formula across entire other cells in the row.

• Now, simply you are having several data rows merged into one row.

2. How to Combine Rows in Excel using the Merge Cells Add-in

The Merge Cells add-in is used for merging various types of cells in Excel. This allows you to merges the individual cells and also combines data from entire rows or columns.

Please Note: You need to download a merge cell add-ins for third-party sites available online. Search in Google for add-ins.

Follow the given steps to combine two or more rows in your table:

1. Choose rows you are looking to merge > click on the Merge Cells icon.
2. Now the merge cells dialog window opens with a table or range selected already. And in the upper part of the window, you can see the three basic things:

• • How you want to join cells – For combining rows of data > choose “column by column“.
  • How to separate merged values with – an array of standard separators is available to choose from > comma, space, semicolon, and a line break. So select the separator as per your desire.
  • Where you need to place the merged cells > either the top cell or bottom cell.

1. Now check the lower part of the Windows to check if you need any additional options:

• • Clear the content of selected cells – Choose this if need data to remain in the merged cells only.
  • Merge all areas in the selection – This option allows you to merge rows in two or more non-adjacent ranges.
  • Skip empty cells and Wrap text – Well, these are self-explanatory.
  • Lastly, Create a backup copy of the worksheet – This option is checked by default.  It is just a precaution that keeps you on the safe side and prevents the risk of data loss.

1. Click the Merge button > to check the result – possible the merged rows of data separated by line breaks.

So, these are the two ways that allow you to merge rows in Excel without any data loss. Now, check out the ways on how to combine two columns in Excel.

Part 2# How To Merge Columns In Excel 

Here check out the 3 ways to merge data from several columns into one without using VBA macro.

• Merge two columns using formulas
• Combine columns data via NotePad
• The fastest way to join multiple columns

1. Merge Two Columns using Excel Formulas

1. Into your table > insert a new column > in the column header place the mouse pointer > right-click the mouse > select Insert from the context menu. Name the newly added columns for eg. – “Full Name”

2. In the cell D2, write the formula: =CONCATENATE(B2,” “,C2). The B2 and C2 are the addresses of First Name and Last Name. And in the formula, the quotation marks “” is the separator that will be inserted between merged names any other symbol can be used as a separator e.g. a comma.

3. Just like this, join data from several cells into one by making use of any separator of your choice.

4. Simply, copy the formula to other cells of the Full Name column. If the First name or the Last name is deleted, then the corresponding data in the Full name Column will also be gone.

5. Next, try converting the formula to a value so that you can remove the unnecessary columns from the Excel worksheet. Choose entire cells with data in the merged column (choose the first cell in “Full Name” Column > press Ctrl +Shift + Arrow Down)

6. Now copy the contents of the columns to clipboard > right click on the cell in the same column (“Full Name”) > choose “Paste Special” context menu > choose “Values” radio button > click OK.

7. Now remove “First Name” & “Last Name” columns that are not required. Click the column B header > press and hold Ctrl > click column C header.

8. After that make a right-click on any selected columns > select Delete from the context menu.

9. This is it, now you have successfully merged the names from 2 columns into one.

2. Combine columns Data via Notepad

This is another way that allows you to merge several columns. Here you don’t need any formulas. This is suitable for combining adjacent columns to make use of the same delimiter for all of them.

For Example: If looking for combining 2 columns with First Names and Last Names into one:

1. Choose both columns you need to merge: Click B1 > press Shift + ArrrowRight for choosing C1 > then hit Ctrl + Shift + ArrowDown for choosing entire data cells with data in two columns.

• And copy data to clipboard > open Notepad > insert data from the clipboard to the Notepad

• Then copy tab character to clipboard > hit Tab right in Notepad > hit Ctrl + Shift + LeftArrow > press Ctrl + X.
• After that Replace Tab characters in Notepad with the separator, you require.
• Hit Ctrl + H for opening the “Replace” dialog box > paste the Tab character from the clipboard in Find what field > type the separator Space, comma etc in “Replace with” field. Hit the Replace All button > to close the dialog box press Cancel

• Now select the entire text in the Notepad and copy it to Clipboard.
• Then switch back to Excel worksheet (press Alt + Tab) > choose B1 cell and paste text from Clipboard to your table.

• And rename column B to “Full Name“ and remove the “Last name” column.

So, this is the second way that allows you to merge columns in Excel without any data loss.

3. Join Columns Using Merge Cells Add-in For Excel

This is the easiest and quickest way for combining data from numerous Excel columns into one. Just make use of the third party merge cells add-in for Excel.

And with the merge cells add-in you can merge data from many cells by using any separator you like (for example carriage return or line break). With this, you can join row by row, column by column, or merge data from the selected cell into one without any loss.

There are many third-party add-ins online sites that allow you to download the add-ins and merge the cells easily in just a few clicks.

Conclusion:

So this is all about merging rows and columns in Excel without any data loss.

Follow the given steps to combine text in rows and columns easily.

Hope the given different steps will allow you to perform the task easily in the rows and column. Here I have described different methods of merging rows and columns data in Excel without any data loss.

So make use of anyone that you find easy for you.

However if in case you come to face any issue or data loss situation in Excel then make use of the MS Excel Repair Tool. This is the best tool that allows you to repair and recover data from the corrupted, damaged Excel file.

Additionally, you can learn advanced Excel to become more productive and easily utilize Excel functions and formulas.

If you’re using Excel and have data split across multiple columns that you want to combine, you don’t need to manually do this. Instead, you can use a quick and easy formula to combine columns.

We’re going to show you how to combine two or more columns in Excel using the ampersand symbol or the CONCAT function. We’ll also offer some tips on how to format the data so that it looks exactly how you want it.

How to Combine Columns in Excel

There are two methods to combine columns in Excel: the ampersand symbol and the concatenate formula. In many cases, using the ampersand method is quicker and easier than the concatenate formula. That said, use whichever you feel most comfortable with.

1. How to Combine Excel Columns With the Ampersand Symbol

1. Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
2. Type =
3. Click the first cell you want to combine.
4. Type &
5. Click the second cell you want to combine.
6. Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cells A2 and B2, the formula would be: =A2&B2

2. How to Combine Excel Columns With the CONCAT Function

1. Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
2. Type =CONCAT(
3. Click the first cell you want to combine.
4. Type ,
5. Click the second cell you want to combine.
6. Type )
7. Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cell A2 and B2, the formula would be: =CONCAT(A2,B2)

This formula used to be CONCATENATE, rather than CONCAT. Using the former works to combine two columns in Excel, but it is depreciating, so you should use the latter to ensure compatibility with current and future Excel versions.

How to Combine More Than Two Excel Cells

You can combine as many cells as you want using either method. Simply repeat the formatting like so:

• =A2&B2&C2&D2 … etc.
• =CONCAT(A2,B2,C2,D2) … etc.

How to Combine the Entire Excel Column

Once you have placed the formula in one cell, you can use this to automatically populate the rest of the column. You don’t need to manually type in each cell name that you want to combine.

To do this, double-click the bottom-right corner of the filled cell. Alternatively, left-click and drag the bottom-right corner of the filled cell down the column. It’s an Excel AutoFill trick to build spreadsheets faster.

Tips on How to Format Combined Columns in Excel

Your combined Excel columns could contain text, numbers, dates, and more. As such, it isn’t always suitable to leave the cells combined without formatting them.

To help you out, here are various tips on how to format combined cells. In our examples, we’ll refer to the ampersand method, but the logic is the same for the CONCAT formula.

1. How to Put a Space Between Combined Cells

If you had a «First name» column and a «Last name» column, you would want a space between the two cells.

To do this, the formula would be: =A2&» «&B2

This formula says to add the contents of A2, then add a space, then add the contents of B2.

It doesn’t have to be a space. You can put whatever you want between the speech marks, like a comma, a dash, or any other symbol or text.

2. How to Add Additional Text Within Combined Cells

The combined cells don’t just have to contain their original text. You can add whatever additional information you want.

Let’s say cell A2 contains someone’s name (e.g., Marge Simpson) and cell B2 contains their age (e.g., 36). We can build this into a sentence that reads «The character Marge Simpson is 36 years old».

To do this, the formula would be: =»The character «&A2&» is «&B2&» years old»

The additional text is wrapped in speech marks and followed by an &. You don’t need to use speech marks when referencing a cell. Remember to include where the spaces should go; so «The character » with a space at the end.

3. How to Correctly Display Numbers in Combined Cells

If your original cells contain formatted numbers like dates or currency, you’ll notice that the combined cell strips the formatting.

You can solve this with the TEXT function, which you can use to define the required format.

Let’s say cell A2 contains someone’s name (e.g., Marge Simpson) and cell B2 contains their date of birth (e.g., 01/02/1980).

To combine them, you might think to use this formula: =A2&» was born on «&B2

However, that’ll output: Marge Simpson was born on 29252. That’s because Excel converts the correctly formatted date of birth into a plain number.

By applying the TEXT function, you can tell Excel how you want the merged cell to be formatted. Like so: =A2&» was born on «&TEXT(B2,»dd/mm/yyyy»)

That’s slightly more complicated than the other formulas, so let’s break it down:

• =A2 — merge cell A2.
• &» was born on « — add the text «was born on» with a space on both sides.
• &TEXT — add something with the text function.
• (B2,»dd/mm/yyyy») — merge cell B2, and apply the format of dd/mm/yyyy to the contents of that field.

You can switch out the format for whatever the number requires. For example, $#,##0.00 would show currency with a thousand separator and two decimals, # ?/? would turn a decimal into a fraction, H:MM AM/PM would show the time, and so on.

You can find more examples and information on the Microsoft Office TEXT function support page.

How to Remove the Formula From Combined Columns

If you click a cell within the combined column, you’ll notice that it still contains the formula (e.g., =A2&» «&B2) rather than the plain text (e.g., Marge Simpson).

This isn’t a bad thing. It means that whenever the original cells (e.g., A2 and B2) are updated, the combined cell will automatically update to reflect those changes.

However, it does mean that if you delete the original cells or columns then it will break your combined cells. As such, you might want to remove the formula from the combined column and make it plain text.

To do this, right-click the header of the combined column to highlight it, then click Copy.

Next, right-click the header of the combined column again—this time, beneath Paste Options, select Values. Now the formula is gone, leaving you with plain text cells that you can edit directly.

How to Merge Columns in Excel

Instead of combining columns in Excel, you can also merge them. This will turn multiple horizontal cells into one cell. Merging cells only keeps the values from the upper-left cell and discards the rest.

To do this, select the cells or columns that you want to merge. In the Ribbon, on the Home tab, click the Merge & Center button (or use the dropdown arrow next to it).

For more information on this, read our article on how to merge and unmerge cells in Excel. You can also merge entire Excel sheets and files together.

Save Time When Using Excel

Now you know how to combine columns in Excel. You can save yourself lots of time—you don’t need to combine them by hand. It’s just one of the many ways that you can use formulas to speed up common tasks in Excel.

Note: This tutorial on how to combine two columns in Excel is suitable for all Excel versions including Office 365. 

Manually merging columns in Excel can take a lot of time and effort. Here’s how to combine two columns in Excel the easy way. 

In this article, you will learn: 

1. How to Combine Columns in Excel Sheets?
   • How to Combine Two Columns in Excel With the CONCAT Function?
   • How to Combine Two Columns in Excel With the Ampersand Symbol?
   • How to Combine Multiple Columns in Excel into One column?
2. How to Format Combined Columns in Excel?
   • How to Insert a Space Between Combined Cells of the Columns?
   • How to Correctly Display Dates and Currency in Combined Cells?
   • How to Add Additional Text in Combined Cells?
3. How to Remove the Formula from the Combined Columns?
4. How to Merge Columns in Excel? 

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How to Combine Columns in Excel Sheets?

Let’s say, for example, you have two separate columns containing the first and last names of your customers. Now, you want to combine these two columns into a single column that contains the full names of the customers. 

There are two methods to go about doing this. You can either use the CONCAT formula method or use the ampersand method. Both of these methods are equally easy to use and I’ll break them down one by one in the following sections. 

How to Combine Two Columns in Excel with the CONCAT Function?

1. Click on the destination cell where you want to combine the two columns. 

1. Enter the formula: =CONCAT(Column 1 Cell, Column 2 Cell). 

Here, replace Column 1 Cell with the name of the first cell of column 1 and Column 2 cell 

with the name of the first cell of column 2. 

In this example, it is going to look like this: =CONCAT(A2,B2)

1. Drag the formula to the entire cell range, as long as you need to. 

How to Combine Two Columns in Excel with the Ampersand Symbol?

1. Click on the destination cell where you want the combined columns to appear.

1. Enter the formula, in this format =Column Cell 1&Column Cell 2

Here, replace Column 1 Cell with the name of the first cell of column 1 and Column 2 cell 

with the name of the first cell of column 2. 

In this example, it is going to look like this: =A2&B2 

1. Drag the formula to the data entire range.

Also Read: 

Excel Conditional Formatting -the Best Guide (Bonus Video)

The Best Excel Project Management Template In 2021

How To Use Excel Countifs: The Best Guide

How to Combine Multiple Columns in Excel into One Column?

If you want to combine multiple columns in Excel into one column using the above two methods, follow these steps:

1. If you are using the CONCAT formula, keep adding the cell references from the extra columns inside the formula.  For example, if you want to combine the column C along with columns A and B, the formula would be this: =CONCAT(A2, B2, C2)

1. If you are using the ampersand method, keep adding the new cell references in the same format. For example, if you want to combine column C along with columns A and B, the formula would be this: =A2&B2&C2

How to Format Combined Columns in Excel?

While the above methods have technically combined the columns, their results are not always accurate. Let’s use the combined full names from the previous example. Let’s say that the first name and last name are not separated by a space. In this section, I’ll show you how to avoid such errors while combining columns in Excel. 

How to Insert a Space Between Combined Cells of the Columns?

To insert a space between two cells of the combined columns, just add a dummy space between the cell references in the formula using the character: “ “ 

For example, if you are using the CONCAT function, it will look like this:

• =CONCAT(A2,“ ”,B2)

Similarly, If you are using the ampersand method, your formula should look like this:

• =A2&“ ”&B2

How to Correctly Display Dates and Currency in Combined Cells?

If the columns you combine contain any special formatting like dates, currency, or accounting, Excel will automatically strip the formatting before it combines the columns. 

To avoid this, you can use the TEXT function to convert this special formatting into text before combining them together. 

For example, if you want to combine two dates together to form a date range, use either one of the following formulas:

• =TEXT(A2,”dd/mm/yy”)&”-“&TEXT(B2,”dd/mm/yy”)

• =CONCAT(TEXT(A2,”dd/mm/yy”),”-“,TEXT(B2,”dd/mm/yy”))

In this example, A2 and B2 contain the original dates in proper date format. 

How to Add Additional Text in Combined Cells?

Sometimes, you may need to add additional text in between or after the combined cells. To do this, follow the same technique you followed when you added spaces. Insert your custom text in between double quotes. 

For example, if you want to add the phrase “was born on” in-between names and date of birth columns, you can use either one of these two formulas: 

=CONCAT(A2,” expires on “,TEXT(B2,”dd/mm/yy”))

=TEXT(A2,”dd/mm/yy”)&”-“&TEXT(B2,”dd/mm/yy”)

How to Remove the Formula from the Combined Columns?

The combined column that you created, using the above methods is going to be dynamic. That means any change in the original values will affect the values in the combined column. To prevent this, copy the values of the combined column and paste them as values in the same column, or even a different column. 

How to Merge Columns in Excel? 

If you don’t want to combine the values of two columns, but want to just merge two columns into one instead, you can follow these steps: 

1. Select the cells or columns that you want to merge.
2. Click on the “Merge & Centre” option on the “Home” tab. 

Excel will merge the selected columns into one column. 

Note: Please keep in mind that this will only keep the value from the upper-left corner cell and clear all other values. 

Suggested Reads:

Excel Sumifs & Sumif Functions – The No.1 Complete Guide

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Closing Thoughts

That’s all folks. In this guide, I have shown you how to combine two columns in Excel using the easiest methods. Try using these methods in a practice worksheet and let us know if you have any questions about it. 

Want more high-quality guides for Excel? Check out our free Excel resources centre. 

Click here to access in-depth Excel training courses and master in-demand advanced Excel skills. 

Simon Sez IT has been teaching critical IT software for over ten years. For a low, monthly fee you can get access to 100+ IT training courses by seasoned professionals.

Since you’re here, you’ve must tried to merge and center two cells to get them combined, but to your surprise, you only got the data in the left cell and right cell data is gone. Even it displayed a warning before merging them, right? To combine two cells we use merge and center but it is used for formatting purposes, hence you only get data in left-upper cell. Its can’t be used to combine data.

Ok. Then question arises how do we combine two columns in excel without loosing any data. It can be done. Let’s just see how.

How to Combine Two Columns in Excel Using Formulas

We all know about the CONCATENATE function of excel. It is used to concatenate two or more strings together. These strings can be in cells. So let’s see an example.

Combine Two Columns In Excel Excel

For this example, we have this sample data. See below image. We need to combine column A and Column B into one to get full name.

To combine First Name and Last Name we will use a helping column. Lets name it Full Name in column C.

Now in C2 write this CONCATENATE formula and drag it down.

=CONCATENATE(A2,» «, B2)

CONCATENATE Function in excel combines given arguments into one. Here we are adding first name and last name with an space (“ “) in between them.

Now if you don’t want first name and last name column in sheet then first value paste Full Name Column.

• • Select all cell in C column. You can use excel shortcut CTRL+SHIFT+down arrow, if you are in cell C2.
  • Copy it using CTRL+C
  • Now right click on cell C2 and click on Paste Special or press ALT>E>S>V sequentially.

• Select value and OK
• Select Column A and B and delete them.

And its done.

So yeah its done. You have merged two columns without loosing any data, successfully.

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