If you’re tired of manually rewriting data entries in different cells in Google Sheets, then the CONCATENATE function is here to save the day! In this ultimate guide, we’ll show you how to effortlessly combine information from multiple cells, complete with separators like commas or semicolons. Say goodbye to time-consuming tasks and hello to efficiency with CONCATENATE in Google Sheets.
What is the CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets?
The CONCATENATE function allows you to seamlessly merge the content of cells or individual strings into a single string within a Google Sheets cell. The best part? It’s incredibly easy to apply this function to large sets of data, eliminating the need for manual merging.
While CONCAT and CONCATENATE are similar functions, CONCAT is quite limited. It doesn’t allow the addition of delimiters, and you can only combine two cells or strings. That’s why CONCATENATE is the more practical and functional choice. In this article, we’ll cover all its uses in detail.
Syntax
To use the CONCATENATE function, follow this syntax:
=CONCATENATE(cell_1, "delimiter", cell_2)Here’s what each part of the formula represents:
cell_1: This can be a string or a cell reference for the first part."delimiter": This represents the separator between the first and second part. You can use common delimiters like spaces, commas, or semicolons. Note that this part is optional, and you can remove the quotes if you don’t need to add a delimiter.cell_2: This is the second string or cell reference.
You can add as many cells or strings as you want, simply separate them with commas within the parentheses.
How to use CONCATENATE in Google Sheets
Now let’s dive into the practical steps to use CONCATENATE in Google Sheets:
Step 1: Select the cell where you want to add the CONCATENATE function. Then, type =CONCATENATE followed by an opening parenthesis.
Step 2: Once Google Sheets recognizes the CONCATENATE function, select the cells that contain the strings you want to combine. Separate the cells with commas.
You can also directly type the individual strings into the function, ensuring you surround them with quotation marks.
Step 3: After selecting the cells, press Enter.
To get a better understanding of how simple the process is, take a look at this animation:
Examples
Let’s explore a few examples to see the versatility of the CONCATENATE function:
Example 1: Concatenating multiple cells with cell ranges
If you want to combine multiple cells in Google Sheets without using delimiters, you can type a cell range into the CONCATENATE function instead of individual cells or strings.
For instance, let’s say you want to combine the contents of columns A2 to D4 into a single cell. In this case, you would type the range A2:D4 into the function to merge the four cells into one.
Example 2: Using strings in CONCATENATE
In addition to cell references, you can also type exact strings directly into the CONCATENATE function. Simply enclose the strings in quotation marks.
Example 3: Adding a space
To add a space between concatenated strings, insert " " (a space between double quotation marks) between the cell references.
Example 4: Including dates
If you need to include dates in CONCATENATE, you must first convert them to strings. The easiest way to do this in Google Sheets is by typing an apostrophe (‘) before your date in a cell.
Example 5: Concatenating multiple rows/columns
You can also concatenate a cell range with multiple rows or columns in Google Sheets. The CONCATENATE formula will process the range, concatenating it from left to right and from the first row to the last row, and placing all the data in a single cell.
Example 6: Numbering each entry
To add a number in front of each entry, you can use the CONCATENATE function. Let’s say you want to number each name in your Google Sheets dataset. You would type =CONCATENATE(ROW()-1, " - ", A2, " ", B2).
We use "ROW()-1" to generate the entry number since we have a header row. However, if your dataset doesn’t have a header row, simply use "ROW()".
Conclusion
CONCATENATE is a powerful and versatile function for merging information from multiple cells into a single cell in Google Sheets. It offers much more functionality compared to the limited CONCAT formula. We’ve covered all the crucial aspects of CONCATENATE and provided examples to help you incorporate this handy tool into your Google Sheets repertoire.
If you ever need to reverse the effects of CONCATENATE, check out our article on the SPLIT function in Google Sheets. It allows you to split cell data into multiple cells, giving you even more control over your data.
For more tips and tricks on Google Sheets, join us on Crawlan.com. Discover a wealth of knowledge and optimize your workflow with our expert guidance. And remember, your best Google Sheets resource is just a click away!
