Excel CONCAT Examples: Formulas for Joining Text

To join a first name in A2 and a surname in B2 with a space between them, enter =CONCAT(A2," ",B2). Excel’s CONCAT function combines text, cell references, and ranges into one text string; the examples below show how to use it for names, labels, addresses, and other everyday spreadsheet tasks.

What CONCAT does in Excel

CONCAT is a text function: it takes the items you specify and joins them in order. Those items can be text typed into the formula, references to cells, or ranges of cells. In Microsoft Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, the function’s basic syntax is =CONCAT(text1,[text2],...). The first argument is required; later arguments are optional.

For example, if A2 contains “Mia” and B2 contains “Chen,” CONCAT can return “Mia Chen.” The function does not add spaces, commas, or other punctuation automatically. Any separator you want must be included as a text argument, such as the space in =CONCAT(A2," ",B2).

CONCAT returns one combined result in the cell containing the formula. It does not alter the source cells, so you can edit the original values and the result updates. It also does not insert a separator between cells in a range: joining A2:C2 directly puts the contents together without spaces or punctuation.

Join names and other text with a separator

A common use is creating a full name from separate columns. With first names in A2 and surnames in B2, enter =CONCAT(A2," ",B2). If A2 is “Mia” and B2 is “Chen,” the result is “Mia Chen.” The quoted space is a text argument, not a special CONCAT option.

You can use the same pattern to make labels. Suppose A2 contains “Invoice” and B2 contains “1048.” With that layout, use =CONCAT(A2," #",B2). The result is “Invoice #1048.” The text argument “ #” supplies both a space and the number sign.

For a department and employee code, with the department in A2 and the code in B2, enter =CONCAT(A2,"-",B2). If the cells contain “SALES” and “027,” the result is “SALES-027.” If B2 is a number rather than text and its leading zeros matter, use a number format inside the formula as shown in the next section.

Build IDs, dates, and formatted numbers

CONCAT joins a number’s value, not necessarily the way that number appears in its cell. A cell may display a date or a number with leading zeros because of its formatting, but concatenating that cell can produce a result based on its underlying value. Use TEXT when the number needs a particular display format in the combined string.

For an ID, assume A2 contains the text “ORD-” and B2 contains the numeric value 1048. To show the number with five digits, enter =CONCAT(A2,TEXT(B2,"00000")). The result is “ORD-01048.” The format code “00000” displays the value with enough leading zeros to fill five positions; it does not change the stored value in B2.

For a readable date, assume A2 contains a date Excel recognizes, such as January 5, 2026. Enter =CONCAT("Due: ",TEXT(A2,"mmm d, yyyy")). The result is “Due: Jan 5, 2026.” The TEXT format code controls how the date appears in the string. Date display can vary with regional conventions, so choose a format that makes sense for the people reading the workbook.

For a price label, assume A2 contains the product name “Notebook” and B2 contains the numeric price 12.5. Enter =CONCAT(A2," - ",TEXT(B2,"$#,##0.00")). In a setting that uses the shown dollar and decimal conventions, the result is “Notebook – $12.50.” TEXT formats the value for the label; it does not turn the result into a numeric amount that can be summed as a price.

Combine address fields or several cells

CONCAT can assemble multiple address fields in a chosen order. Assume A2 contains “24 Oak St,” B2 contains “Boston,” C2 contains “MA,” and D2 contains the numeric ZIP code 2108. Enter =CONCAT(A2,", ",B2,", ",C2," ",TEXT(D2,"00000")). The result is “24 Oak St, Boston, MA 02108.” The TEXT argument preserves the leading zero in this example. If a ZIP code has already been lost because Excel converted it to a number, a five-digit format can display it with a leading zero for this output.

If a row contains three text fragments in A2:C2 and you want to join them exactly as they appear, enter =CONCAT(A2:C2). For example, if the cells contain “North,” “Region,” and “Team,” the result is “NorthRegionTeam.” CONCAT does not add spaces between cells in a range. To put spaces between known fields, reference them separately with space arguments, as in =CONCAT(A2," ",B2," ",C2); with the same values, that returns “North Region Team.”

For a short multi-line result, assume A2 holds “Mia Chen” and B2 holds “Boston, MA.” Enter =CONCAT(A2,CHAR(10),B2). The formula inserts a line-break character between the two values. To see the lines in the cell, select it and choose Home > Wrap Text. The line break affects the cell’s display; it does not add a new row to the worksheet.

Concatenate text with functions and fixed wording

You can put functions inside CONCAT arguments. For example, assume A2 contains an email username, “MIA.CHEN,” and B2 contains a domain, “EXAMPLE.COM.” Enter =CONCAT(LOWER(A2),"@",LOWER(B2)). The result is “mia.chen@example.com.” LOWER changes the letter case of each input, while CONCAT joins the resulting text with an at sign.

Another practical pattern is adding a status or instruction to a value. Assume A2 contains a customer name and B2 contains an order number. With those values, enter =CONCAT("Hello, ",A2,". Your order ",B2," is ready."). If A2 is “Mia Chen” and B2 is “1048,” the result is “Hello, Mia Chen. Your order 1048 is ready.” Check the source cells for extra spaces or inconsistent punctuation if the sentence will be exported or sent to customers.

CONCAT is also useful for producing a text key from several fields, such as a region and an account code. Choose a separator that cannot be confused with characters in the source values where possible. Otherwise, combinations such as “AB” plus “C” and “A” plus “BC” could both produce “ABC,” making the result ambiguous. A separator such as a hyphen can make the parts easier to distinguish, although you should confirm that it is appropriate for the data.

CONCAT, TEXTJOIN, the ampersand, and CONCATENATE

Several Excel approaches can join text, but they suit different situations:

CONCAT: A clear function for joining selected text and references. It can accept a range, but does not add a delimiter between the range’s cells.
Ampersand (&): A concise operator for joining a few pieces. With a first name in A2 and a surname in B2, =A2&" "&B2 returns the same full name as the CONCAT example.
TEXTJOIN: Useful when you want one delimiter between multiple items and may want to ignore empty cells. With values in A2:C2, enter =TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:C2) to join nonempty cells with spaces. TRUE tells the function to ignore empty cells.
CONCATENATE: The older function for joining text. Existing workbooks may contain it, but Microsoft recommends CONCAT for newer formulas. CONCATENATE does not provide the range handling available in CONCAT.

For only two or three pieces, CONCAT and the ampersand are both readable options; use the style that is easiest for your team to maintain. For a list where empty cells should be skipped and a separator should appear only between populated values, TEXTJOIN is usually the more suitable function. TEXTJOIN is available in Microsoft 365 and supported newer Excel versions; if a workbook must work in an older installation, check function compatibility before sharing it.

Common CONCAT problems and how to fix them

Missing spaces or punctuation: CONCAT does not supply separators. Add them as quoted text arguments, such as =CONCAT(A2,", ",B2).
Unexpected date or number display: Use TEXT with an explicit number format when a combined string must show a date, currency amount, or leading zeros in a particular way.
Extra spaces: A source cell may contain spaces before or after its visible text. TRIM can remove ordinary extra spaces from text. With names in A2 and B2, for example, =CONCAT(TRIM(A2)," ",TRIM(B2)) cleans each name before joining it.
Formula shown instead of result: Check that the cell is not formatted as Text, and check that the formula begins with an equals sign. If the formula was entered while the cell was Text-formatted, change the format to General and re-enter the formula.
#NAME? error: Check the spelling of CONCAT and confirm that the Excel version supports it. In an old version that lacks CONCAT, try the ampersand operator or the older CONCATENATE function.
Leading zeros disappear: Excel may store a code such as 00127 as the number 127. Keep codes as text when possible, or apply a format with TEXT when building the combined result.

When troubleshooting, inspect the original cells as well as the formula. CONCAT cannot infer whether a number is an ID, a date, or a quantity; it joins the values it receives. A formula can be syntactically correct and still produce an unsuitable label if a source cell has the wrong type or contains unwanted spaces.

When to use CONCAT—and when not to

Use CONCAT when you need a text result assembled from a manageable number of known parts, or when you want to join a range without inserting separators. It is useful for display labels, messages, identifiers, and export-ready text. If you need a delimiter between many values, or want blank cells skipped, consider TEXTJOIN instead.

Concatenation is not the same as merging cells. A CONCAT formula combines cell contents into a result while keeping the source cells separate. Excel’s Merge & Center command changes the worksheet’s cell layout and can leave only one cell’s content when several selected cells contain data. For data you may sort, filter, or reuse, keeping source fields in separate columns and generating a combined result in another column is generally more flexible.

Also distinguish a combined text label from data that must remain numeric. Once a number is joined to words or punctuation, the result is text, so arithmetic and numeric sorting may no longer behave as intended. Keep the original numeric value in its own cell and use a separate CONCAT formula only for presentation when both forms are needed.

Frequently Asked Questions

Does CONCAT automatically insert spaces between cells?
No. It joins the supplied items directly. Include a quoted space or another delimiter as an argument, or use TEXTJOIN when you want a delimiter applied across a range.

Can CONCAT join an entire range?
Yes. A reference such as A2:C2 can be passed to CONCAT, and the cell contents are joined in order without separators. The function returns one combined result rather than placing each item in a separate cell.

What is the difference between CONCAT and TEXTJOIN?
CONCAT joins items without automatically adding separators. TEXTJOIN takes a delimiter argument and can be told to ignore empty cells, which makes it useful for joining lists with a consistent separator.

Why does CONCAT show a date as a number?
Excel stores dates as serial values, and concatenation may use the underlying value rather than the cell’s date display format. Wrap the date reference in TEXT and provide a format code, such as TEXT(A2,"mmm d, yyyy"), to control how it appears.

Can CONCAT combine numbers and text?
Yes. It can join numbers with text, but the completed result is text. Use TEXT inside the formula if you need the number to appear with a chosen format, such as leading zeros or two decimal places.

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