Text Join Line Break in Google Sheets: Formula Guide

To join text from several Google Sheets cells on separate lines, use =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2:A5), replacing the range with your cells. Then select the formula cell and choose Format > Wrapping > Wrap so the line breaks appear inside the cell.

How to join text with line breaks

TEXTJOIN combines text using a delimiter you specify. In this example, the delimiter is CHAR(10), which represents a line-feed character: the kind of character used to start a new line. The formula joins the contents of A2 through A5, placing a line break between each included value.

For example, if A2 contains “Red,” A3 contains “Blue,” A4 contains “Green,” and A5 is blank, the formula returns three lines: Red, Blue, and Green. The second argument, TRUE, tells Sheets to ignore empty cells, so the blank A5 does not create an empty line at the end.

To try it:

Enter the text items in a column, such as A2:A5.
Click a different cell where you want the combined result.
Enter the formula, changing A2:A5 to match your data.
With the result cell selected, choose Format > Wrapping > Wrap.
Adjust the row height if the full result is not visible.

The result remains in one cell; the line breaks affect how its text is arranged, not the number of cells in the result. This is useful for creating a multiline address, a compact list, or a readable summary from values stored separately.

What TEXTJOIN and CHAR(10) do

TEXTJOIN has the general structure TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2, ...]). The delimiter is inserted between the text values that are joined. Here it is a line break rather than a comma, space, or other visible character. The TRUE setting controls whether empty values are skipped. The remaining argument can be a range or individual cells, and you can provide multiple text arguments.

CHAR(10) supplies the line-break character to use as that delimiter. Writing "\n" in a formula does not act as a newline in Google Sheets; use CHAR(10) instead. The function does not add visible bullet marks or numbering. It simply puts each included value on a new line within the result.

If you want blank source cells to produce blank lines, change the ignore-empty argument to FALSE. For example, with values in A2:A4, where A3 is empty, =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),FALSE,A2:A4) keeps the empty position between the values from A2 and A4. With TRUE, those two nonempty values are placed on consecutive lines. Choose the setting based on whether empty rows represent meaningful gaps or should be omitted.

Join a few specific cells instead of a range

TEXTJOIN works with individual cells as well as ranges. With first names in A2 and last names in B2, and with the desired output in C2, use =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2,B2). If A2 contains “Maya” and B2 contains “Chen,” C2 displays Maya and Chen on separate lines after wrapping is enabled.

For just two cells, concatenation with the ampersand is another option. With the same layout—first name in A2, last name in B2, and output in C2—enter =A2&CHAR(10)&B2. This gives direct control over where the line break goes, but it does not provide TEXTJOIN’s convenient ignore-empty setting. If A2 or B2 is blank, the formula still includes the break in its specified position.

For a group of cells, a range is usually clearer and easier to maintain than typing every cell reference separately. If your list grows, update the range to include the additional rows. Avoid including an entire column unless you have a reason to do so: an unnecessarily large range can make a formula harder to review and may affect spreadsheet performance in a busy sheet.

Make the line breaks visible

A formula can contain line breaks while the cell still appears to show one long line. That is usually a display issue rather than a failed formula. Select the result cell, then use Format > Wrapping > Wrap. Wrapping lets the cell display text on multiple visual lines instead of keeping it on one horizontal line.

Row height matters too. Sheets may expand a row to fit wrapped text, but a manually set row height can leave some lines hidden. If the result looks cut off, drag the row boundary to make the row taller. Column width also changes where long lines wrap, but it does not remove the actual line breaks inserted by CHAR(10).

Wrapping and line breaks are related but different. CHAR(10) puts a deliberate break between joined items. Wrapping can create additional visual breaks when a line is too long for the column. If you turn wrapping off, the result may look like a single line even though the line-feed characters are still in the cell. Re-enable wrapping to inspect the intended layout.

Useful variations for lists and labels

A line break is not the only useful delimiter. You can combine labels and values, or add punctuation, by joining text pieces in the order you want. For instance, a two-line contact entry might put a person’s name above their email address. With a name in A2, an email address in B2, and the result in C2, enter =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2,B2). If A2 is “Maya Chen” and B2 is “maya@example.com,” the result has the name on the first line and the email on the second.

You can also add a fixed label as one of the text arguments. With a customer name in A2 and a phone number in B2, and the output in C2, use =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,"Customer:",A2,"Phone:",B2). If A2 is “Maya Chen” and B2 is “555-0100,” the result has four lines: Customer:, Maya Chen, Phone:, and 555-0100. This pattern is useful for assembling a small formatted note from fields, although a different formula may be better if you need labels and values on the same line.

To put a label and its value together on each line, use concatenation for each pair. With a name in A2 and a phone number in B2, and the result in C2, enter ="Name: "&A2&CHAR(10)&"Phone: "&B2. The result is two lines, such as “Name: Maya Chen” followed by “Phone: 555-0100.” For more complex reports, keep the source data in separate cells and build only the presentation text in the output cell.

Common problems and how to fix them

The result looks like one line: Turn on wrapping with Format > Wrapping > Wrap. Also check whether the row is tall enough to show every line.
There are blank lines: If empty source cells should be skipped, set TEXTJOIN’s second argument to TRUE. If it is already TRUE, check whether the apparent blank cells contain spaces or other characters; those are not necessarily empty values.
Some content is missing: Check the range references and confirm that the formula includes every intended cell. If a cell contains an error value, the combined result may also show an error; inspect the source cells before changing the formula.
Items appear in the wrong order: TEXTJOIN follows the order of the cells or arguments supplied. Rearrange the source data or change the references in the formula.
The line break is visible in the formula bar but not in the grid: Check the cell’s wrapping and row height. The formula bar and the grid do not present multiline text in exactly the same way.

One common misconception is that TEXTJOIN creates a new spreadsheet row for each item. It does not: it returns one text value in one cell. If you need each item in its own row for sorting, filtering, or calculations, keep the items in separate cells instead of joining them.

Google Sheets compared with Excel

The core formula is also familiar to users of modern Excel: TEXTJOIN and CHAR(10) can be used to combine cells with line breaks there as well. The main difference a reader is likely to notice is the interface for wrapping. In Google Sheets, use Format > Wrapping > Wrap; in Excel for Microsoft 365 on Windows, use Home > Wrap Text. The formula in this article is written for Google Sheets, and its comma-separated arguments are valid there.

When sharing a spreadsheet between the programs, check the displayed result after opening it in the other application. The line-feed character is commonly used for multiline cell text, but row heights, column widths, and formatting may not transfer in a way that looks identical. The underlying joined text and the way the grid displays it are separate concerns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I put a line break between joined cells in Google Sheets?
Use =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2:A5), replacing A2:A5 with your range. Turn on wrapping for the formula cell so the separate lines are visible.

Why does CHAR(10) not show a new line?
The cell may not be set to wrap text, or the row may be too short to display all its lines. Choose Format > Wrapping > Wrap and check the row height.

How do I join text but skip empty cells?
Set TEXTJOIN’s second argument to TRUE, as in =TEXTJOIN(CHAR(10),TRUE,A2:A5). Cells that look blank but contain spaces may still be treated as text, so check those source cells if unexpected gaps remain.

Can I insert a line break manually in a Google Sheets cell?
Yes. While editing a cell, use Alt+Enter on Windows or Option+Enter on Mac to insert a line break at the cursor. This creates a manual break in that cell’s text; it is different from using a formula to join other cells.

Does TEXTJOIN put each item in a separate cell?
No. It combines the selected text into one cell, with line breaks inside that cell. Keep values in separate cells if you need to sort or filter each item individually.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

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Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

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