Excel - CONCATENATE Function



CONCATENATE Function

The Excel CONCATENATE function combines multiple text strings into one string. This function is beneficial for consolidating scattered data into a compact form. It permits data analysts to use line breaks and combine text with the date, extracting working professionals' full names. In Microsoft Excel, the opposite of the CONCATENATE function is the TEXTSPLIT function and TEXT to Columns feature.

In Excel for the web and Excel 2016, the CONCATENATE Function is replaced by the CONCAT Function.

Compatibility

This advanced Excel function is compatible with the following versions of MS Excel −

  • Excel for Microsoft 365
  • Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac
  • Excel for the web
  • Excel 2024
  • Excel 2024 for Mac
  • Excel 2021
  • Excel 2021 for Mac
  • Excel 2019
  • Excel 2016
  • Excel 2013
  • Excel 2010
  • Excel 2007

Syntax

The syntax of the CONCATENATE function is as follows −

CONCATENATE (text1, [text2] ...)

Arguments

You can use the following arguments with the CONCATENATE function −

Argument Description Required / Optional
text1 It specifies a numeric value, cell reference, or a text string to be combined. Required
Text2, ... Another item, which can be text and numeric values, will combine. Maximum of 255 items can be used to merge with 8,192 characters. Optional

Points To Remember

  • You can specify the numeric values without enclosing them in the quotation marks in the CONCATENATE function's arguments.
  • You can employ commas between different text items; otherwise, quotation marks would display in the resulting string.
  • It would be suggested that extra spaces must be provided between the input strings for better clarity. You can either set a space after the arguments or specify the double quotation marks with a single space among arguments.
  • If text items are not enclosed in double quotation marks, the CONCATENATE function will retrieve the #NAME error.

Use of Concatenate Function in Excel

Various steps to use the concatenate function are given below −

Step 1 − Expediate the Excel sheet.

Step 2 − Place the cursor on the targeted cell and double-click on it.

Step 3 − Type the = sign and then CONCATENATE("text1"/Cell Reference, " ", "text2"/ Cell reference). You can also add more text strings.

Step 4 − Hit the Enter.

Let's elaborate with an exciting example.

Example of Concatenate Function

The CONCATENATE function is used to join or combine two or more text strings into one string.

Solution

Step 1 − First, consider the sample dataset to employ the CONCATENATE function.

What Does The Concatenate Function Do

Step 2 − After that, select the D3 cell and write the formula =CONCATENATE(B3, C3).

Write The Formula CONCATENATE in D3 Cell

Afterward, hit the Enter tab to obtain the resulting value.

Write The Formula Concatenate Hit Enter

Step 3 − Moreover, move to the D4 cell and double click on it and write the formula =CONCATENATE(B4," ", C4). In this formula, the double quotation marks are placed between two cell references to provide the space between two strings.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D4 Cell

Press the Enter tab to compute the result.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D4 Cell Hit Enter

Step 4 − Furthermore, write the formula =CONCATENATE(B5,",, "C5) in the D5 cell and hit Enter.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D5 Cell

And then, press the Enter tab.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D5 Cell Hit Enter

Step 5 − The alternative way to give the proper space between the text strings is to add the extra space after the first argument. Enter the formula =CONCATENATE("Chapter ",24) in the D6 cell and press the Enter tab.

Enter formula CONCATENATE in D6 Cell

Therefore, the CONCATENATE function will give you the "Chapter 24" result.

CONCATENATE Will Give Chapter 24

Step 6 − Let's join more than two strings in the D7 cell. Double-click on it and type the formula =CONCATENATE("Chapter 24, ","Chapter 25, ","Chapter 26 ") and hit the Enter tab.

Join More Than Two Strings in D7 Cell

Hence, the CONCATENATE function will retrieve "Chapter 24, Chapter 25, Chapter 26" as a result.

CONCATENATE Will Retrieve Chapter 24,25,26

Step 7 − In Excel, to add the line break within a cell, select the "Wrap Text" in the Alignment tab of the Format Cells. And then write the formula =CONCATENATE("Chapter 24", CHAR(10), "Chapter 25", CHAR(10), "Chapter 26", CHAR(10), "Chapter 27") in the D8 cell. Use CHAR(10) for the line break after the text argument in this formula.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D8 Cell

After that, press the Enter tab to get the result.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D8 Cell Hit Enter

Therefore, we have successfully added a line break in the concatenate function Excel.

Step 8 − Afterward, you can enter the formula =CONCATENATE("Book edition, "B9,",C9) in the D9 cell.

Write Formula CONCATENATE in D9 Cell

And then, hit the Enter tab. As you can notice in the screenshot, you can combine the text with the cell references separated by the commas in the CONCATENATE function.

Download Practice Sheet

You can download and use the sample data sheet to practice the CONCATENATE function.

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