The CONCAT function is a built-in function in Excel that allows you to join two or more text strings together. For example, you can use the CONCAT function to combine the first name and last name of a person, or to create a full address from separate cells.
Syntax and Arguments
The syntax of the CONCAT function is:
=CONCAT(text1, [text2], ...)
The arguments of the CONCAT function are:
text1: The first text string to join. This argument is required.text2, …: Additional text strings to join. These arguments are optional. You can specify up to 255 text strings in total.
The CONCAT function returns a single text string that is the result of joining the arguments.
How to Use the CONCAT Function
To use the CONCAT function, follow these steps:
- Select a cell where you want to enter the formula.
- Type
=and thenCONCAT(to start the function. - Enter the first text string or a reference to a cell that contains the text. For example,
A2or"Hello". - If you want to join more text strings, type a comma and then enter the next text string or a reference to a cell. For example,
B2or", ". - Repeat step 4 until you have entered all the text strings you want to join.
- Type
)to close the function and press Enter.
Example
Let’s say you have a list of names in column A and column B, and you want to create a full name by joining the first name and the last name with a space in between. You can use the CONCAT function to do this.
Here is an example of the data and the formula:
| First Name | Last Name | Full Name |
|---|---|---|
| John | Smith | =CONCAT(A2, ” “, B2) |
| Jane | Doe | =CONCAT(A3, ” “, B3) |
| Bob | Lee | =CONCAT(A4, ” “, B4) |
The result of the formula is:
| First Name | Last Name | Full Name |
|---|---|---|
| John | Smith | John Smith |
| Jane | Doe | Jane Doe |
| Bob | Lee | Bob Lee |
Other Approaches
The CONCAT function is a new function that was introduced in Excel 2019 and later versions. If you are using an older version of Excel, you can use the following alternatives to join text strings:
- The
&operator: You can use the&operator to concatenate text strings. For example,=A2 & " " & B2will produce the same result as=CONCAT(A2, " ", B2). - The
CONCATENATEfunction: You can use theCONCATENATEfunction to join text strings. The syntax and arguments are the same as theCONCATfunction. For example,=CONCATENATE(A2, " ", B2)will produce the same result as=CONCAT(A2, " ", B2). However, theCONCATENATEfunction is not recommended as it may not be available in future versions of Excel.
