How to use the CONCAT function in Excel (vs the CONCATENATE function)
Benefits of using the CONCAT function in Excel
Using the CONCAT function in your spreadsheets has many advantages. For instance, it can facilitate the reading of your data and words. This is so that you can enter both a first and last name into a single cell. You can then drag the formula into each additional cell where you want to repeat this action.
Additionally, you can combine text strings to form sentences and use this function to put text from the text string in uppercase format. Another advantage of using CONCAT is that it automatically skips empty cells, so you don’t have to account for them in the formula. Use this function, for instance, if you want to collect postal addresses in a spreadsheet cell.
What is the CONCAT function in Excel?
You can quickly join two or more strings together in your spreadsheet using the Excel formula type CONCAT. A string is a collection of characters that are used as data and are by default left-aligned in an Excel workbook. In addition to combining individual cells, the CONCAT function also supports combining a wide variety of cells. CONCAT’s main function is to join cells without the use of a delimiter, a character that indicates the beginning or end of a data unit.
How to use the CONCAT function in Excel
Here are the three steps to using the CONCAT function effectively:
1. Select an empty cell and begin your CONCAT formula
When you open the program, select an empty cell. Click the formula bar, which is located at the top of your workbook below the toolbar, once you’ve selected the cell. Write the first character of your CONCAT formula, which should read:
**=CONCAT(**
2. Select the data you want to use
Use the information in the text strings you want to combine with your other text strings in the formula. This can be accomplished by selecting the information from the desired cells. Put the following in your formula bar and enclose with parentheses to make it appear as follows:
=CONCAT(A1,A2,A3,A4)
3. Finish the formula
Data from cells A1, A2, A3, and A4 are combined by the program into one cell. The formula will then appear once you click “Enter.” When you’ve finished all the steps, the program will finish the job for you.
Different methods of using the CONCAT function in Excel
Here are a few different ways to employ the CONCAT function in unique circumstances:
Use CONCAT with special characters
The best place for special characters, such as an ampersand or a hyphen, is between quotation marks. Doing this helps ensure the CONCAT formula works correctly. Open your program and choose an empty cell before performing the following steps to use CONCAT with a special character. Next, enter your data and the CONCAT formula into the formula bar. Then, enclose the special character in quotation marks and add it to your formula. To divide text strings into their respective cells, for instance, you can use the following formula with an & in quotation marks, substituting A1 and A2 with your data:
=CONCAT(A1, “&“, A2)
Use CONCAT with date number formats
The program displays the outcome of a CONCAT formula as a text string. To make sure it displays properly, use the TEXT function in your CONCAT formula. You can use format codes in the TEXT function to alter how numbers appear in the application. When you want to use the date numbers format, you can employ this technique. For instance, you might use it to enter todays date. Here is an illustration of how your CONCAT formula might appear in this circumstance:
**=CONCAT(“The date of today is ” , TEXT(TODAY(), “dd/mm/yyyy”))**
Use CONCAT with line breaks
When you use a CONCAT formula, the software shows the outcome on a single line. You can use the CONCAT formula and the CHAR function to collect data in a specific format with multiple lines of text in one cell, such as mailing addresses. The character that the CHAR function returns has a valid character code can be used in the program to indicate a line break. Here is an illustration of how this formula might appear in this situation:
=CONCAT(A1, CHAR(10), B1)
Tips for using the CONCAT function
Here are some tips for using the CONCAT function:
Please note that Indeed is not affiliated with any of the businesses mentioned in this article.
FAQ
How do I use concat in Excel?
- Put ” ” in quotation marks twice, with a space in between. For example: =CONCATENATE(“Hello”, ” “, “World!”).
- Add a space after the Text argument. For example: =CONCATENATE(“Hello “, “World!”). The string “Hello ” has an extra space added.
Is concat and CONCATENATE the same in Excel?
The CONCAT function joins together text from various ranges and/or strings, but it doesn’t accept delimiter or IgnoreEmpty arguments. CONCAT replaces the CONCATENATE function. However, the CONCATENATE function will continue to be accessible for use with earlier Excel versions.
Is concat available in Excel 2016?
Type “=concat(” into the cell where you want to combine cells, followed by the location of the first cell in the series. Each location needs to be separated by a comma. Type the remaining locations in the series one after the other, separated by commas, in the order that you want the information to appear.
How do you CONCATENATE multiple cells in Excel?
Insert Ampersand (&) Operator to Concatenate Multiple Cells. The Ampersand (&) operator can also be used to concatenate multiple cells. ⇒ Press Enter. You’re combining these cells here by putting an ampersand between them.
