How to Combine Two Columns in Microsoft Excel

Many people want to know how to Combine Two Columns in Microsoft Excel. Microsoft Excel is a powerful tool for changing data and figuring out what it means. When you get data from outside sources, though, you might find that the data you want isn’t in the format you need. If you just started using Microsoft Excel, you might not know about a lot of its functions. These functions are very easy to use and will make your work with Excel a lot simpler. With one of these functions, you can add the information in two cells together.

This saves you from having to type merged data into a third cell by hand. You might want to use Excel’s “merging” feature if you want to combine information from different parts of your spreadsheet. This function takes information from two or more columns and puts it into a single column automatically. Reviewing the different ways to merge can save you time and effort when you’re working on a spreadsheet. In this article, we show you how to Combine Two Columns in Microsoft Excel, give you tips, and explain why you might want to do this.

What is Microsoft Excel?

Excel is a spreadsheet program made by Microsoft. It is part of the company’s Office suite of business software. Users can format, organize, and do math on a spreadsheet of data using Microsoft Excel. By using software like Excel to organize data, data analysts and other users can make it easier to see information as more data is added or changed. Excel is made up of a lot of boxes called “cells,” which are set up in rows and columns. The information is put in these cells.

Excel comes with Microsoft Office and Office 365, and it works with the other programs in those suites. You can get the spreadsheet software for Windows, macOS, Android, and iOS. Spreadsheet programs like MS Excel use rows and columns and a group of cells to organize and change data. They can also use charts, histograms, and line graphs to show data. If you want to know more information about this so you can visit Microsoft Official Website.

Users of MS Excel can arrange data in different ways to see different things from different points of view. Microsoft Visual Basic is a programming language that is used to make Excel applications. It lets users make a wide range of complicated mathematical methods. Programmers can write code directly in the Visual Basic Editor, which includes Windows for writing code, fixing bugs, and organizing code modules.

How to Combine Two Columns in Microsoft Excel

Using Ampersand Operator

In Excel, the ampersand, or “&,” is used as an operator. Here’s how to use this symbol in Excel to combine several columns into one:

1. Go to the cell where you want the information from two or more cells to be combined.
2. To start a formula, type equals (=).
3. Use the arrow keys to move to the first cell and put a “&” in it.
4. Now pick the next cell and add another &.
5. Do the same thing for each cell you want to join together.
6. Press Enter.
7. You should now be able to see that the ampersand operators have combined several cells into one.
8. Now, copy the formula and then paste it into a group of cells in the column.
9. You’ll see that Excel put the formula from the first cell of the combined data column into all the cells you chose.

Using Flash Fill

Flash Fill uses Excel’s AI algorithm to find patterns in the cells and columns next to the one you just changed. It then does what you just did. When you use the Flash Fill command, Excel quickly copies what you do. So, this is the fastest way to put the information from several cells next to each other into one column. Here’s what you need to do:

1. Combine adjacent columns.
2. Ensure columns are next to each other.
3. Destination column should be right.
4. View picture for clarity.
5. Enter merged entry in first cell.
6. Select that cell.
7. Click Flash Fill in Data Tools under Data tab on Excel ribbon.
8. Changes copied, merge information into one column.

Using the CONCAT Formula

You can also use the CONCATENATE or CONCAT formula to combine text or numbers from multiple Excel cells into one cell and then copy the formula across the column. This will let you combine more than one column into one. Here’s what to do:

1. Choose the first cell under the heading for the column.
2. This is the header for the column where you want to combine the data from other columns.
3. Type CONCAT after typing equals (=).
4. Start a pair of parentheses and type the address of the first cell or use the arrow keys to select it.
5. Now type a comma (,) and choose the next cell you want to add to the group.
6. Close the brackets and press the Enter key.
7. Copy and paste the formula into the whole column if it works.
8. Excel will automatically get the information from the cells next to it.

Apply TEXTJOIN Function

The way TEXTJOIN works is very similar to how CONCAT works, but you can use a delimiter like a comma, hyphen, space, etc. Look at the steps of how it works:

1. Choose the cell you want to change and put an equals sign in it.
2. Type TEXTJOIN now.
3. Put something in a bracket.
4. Then you have to decide on a delimiter. Let’s use a hyphen to separate the words.
5. To use hyphens, type “-“ and the formula will ask you to choose TRUE or FALSE. This tells Excel whether or not it should count empty cells.
6. Choose TRUE, type a comma, and then add the addresses of the cells you want to combine, separating each one with a comma.
7. Put a period at the end of the formula.
8. When you press Enter, you’ll see that Excel has quickly joined the cells.
9. Now, copy the formula you just made into the whole column to combine two or more columns.

When would you need to combine columns in Excel?

1. Creating Full Names: When you have separate columns for first names and last names, combining them can create a column with full names.
2. Concatenating Address Components: If you have separate columns for address components like street, city, state, and zip code, combining them can create a complete address.
3. Merging Dates and Times: When you have dates in one column and times in another, combining them can create timestamps.
4. Combining Data from Different Sources: When data comes from multiple sources or files, combining columns can consolidate information into a single sheet.
5. Textual Explanations: Combining text with data in columns can create more meaningful explanations. For example, combining a product name with its description.
6. Handling Data Variants: If you have multiple columns containing similar data (e.g., different phone number columns), combining them can streamline the information.

Comparing Manual vs. Formula-Based Column Combination

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