How CONCATENATE works in Excel? Best CONCATENATE examples

How CONCATENATE works in Excel? Best CONCATENATE examples

When working with Excel, one of the most practical functions for text manipulation is CONCATENATE. Although Excel has introduced the CONCAT function as its modern replacement, CONCATENATE remains widely used. In this article, I’ll explain how CONCATENATE works in Excel and provide the best CONCATENATE examples to help you improve your spreadsheet efficiency.

What is CONCATENATE in Excel?

The CONCATENATE function joins two or more text strings into a single value. It doesn’t add spaces or punctuation unless you explicitly define them. This function is particularly useful when working with names, addresses, or any other text data that needs to be combined.

Syntax of the CONCATENATE Function

The syntax of the CONCATENATE function is straightforward:

=CONCATENATE(text1, text2, ...)

Where:

  • text1, text2, ... – These are the text values or cell references you want to combine.

Excel allows up to 255 arguments, so you can merge quite a lot of content if needed.

Best CONCATENATE Examples

To better understand how CONCATENATE works, let’s go through some common examples.

Example 1: Combining First and Last Names

Let’s say you have a list of first and last names in columns A and B. To merge them into a full name, use this formula:

=CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)

If A2 contains “John” and B2 contains “Doe”, the result will be:

First Name (A) Last Name (B) Full Name
John Doe John Doe

Example 2: Merging Address Components

If you have an address split across multiple columns, you can concatenate it into one complete address:

=CONCATENATE(A2, ", ", B2, ", ", C2, ", ", D2)

Where:

  • A2 = Street
  • B2 = City
  • C2 = State
  • D2 = ZIP Code

With the values:

Street City State ZIP Code
123 Main St New York NY 10001

The result will be:

123 Main St, New York, NY, 10001

Example 3: Adding Static Text to Your Concatenation

Sometimes, you may want to incorporate static text into your output. For instance:

=CONCATENATE("Customer: ", A2, " - Order ID: ", B2)

If A2 is “Alice” and B2 is “4567”, the result will be:

Customer: Alice - Order ID: 4567

Alternative: Using the Ampersand (&) Operator

Instead of CONCATENATE, you can achieve the same results using the ampersand (&) operator, which is often preferred because it is shorter and easier to use:

=A2 & " " & B2

This method produces the same result as CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2).

Important Notes About CONCATENATE

Before wrapping up, here are some key considerations:

  • Does not add spaces automatically: You must include spaces or punctuation within the function.
  • Works up to 255 arguments: If you’re attempting to concatenate large datasets, consider TEXTJOIN (Excel 2016+).
  • Replaced by CONCAT: The newer CONCAT function in Excel is more powerful and should be used in modern spreadsheets.

Final Thoughts

The CONCATENATE function in Excel is a simple yet powerful tool for merging text values. Whether you’re compiling names, addresses, or adding structure to raw data, understanding how CONCATENATE works can save you time and effort. While CONCAT and TEXTJOIN may have taken over in recent versions, CONCATENATE remains a staple for many Excel users.

 

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