How to Combine Two Columns in Excel Easily and Quickly

If you’re using Excel and have data split across multiple columns that you want to combine, you don’t need to manually do this. Instead, you can use a quick and easy formula to combine columns.
We’re going to show you how to combine columns in Excel using the ampersand symbol or the CONCAT function. We’ll also offer some tips on how to format the data so that it looks exactly how you want it.
How to Combine Columns in Excel
There are two methods to combine columns in Excel: the ampersand method and the concatenate formula. In many cases, using the ampersand method is quicker and easier than the concatenate formula. That said, use whichever you feel most comfortable with.
1. Combine Columns with the Ampersand Symbol

Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
Type =

Click the first cell you want to combine.
Type &

Click the second cell you want to combine.
Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cell A2 and B2, the formula would be: =A2&B2
2. Combine Columns with the CONCAT Function

Click the cell where you want the combined data to go.
Type =CONCAT(

Click the first cell you want to combine.
Type ,

Click the second cell you want to combine.
Type )

Press the Enter key.

For example, if you wanted to combine cell A2 and B2, the formula would be: =CONCAT(A2,B2)
This formula used to be CONCATENATE, rather than CONCAT. While the former still works, it is being depreciated and you should use the latter to ensure compatibility with current and future versions of Excel.
More Than Two Cells
You can combine as many cells as you want using either method. Simply repeat the formatting like so:

=A2&B2&C2&D2 … etc.
=CONCAT(A2,B2,C2,D2) … etc.

Combine the Entire Column
Once you have placed the formula in one cell, you can use this to automatically populate the rest of the column. You don’t need to manually type in each cell name that you want to combine.
To do this, double click the bottom right corner of the filled cell. Alternatively, left click and drag the bottom right corner of the filled cell down the column.
Tips on How to Format Combined Columns
Your combined Excel columns could contain text, numbers, dates, and more. As such, it isn’t always suitable to leave the cells combined without formatting them.
To help you out, here are various tips on how to format combined cells. In our examples, we’ll refer to the ampersand method, but the logic is the same for the CONCAT formula.
1. How to Put a Space Between Combined Cells

If you had a “First name” column and a “Last name” column, you would want a space between the two cells.
To do this, the formula would be: =A2&” “&B2
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