How to add text to the beginning of every cell in Excel
Formula (Excel and Google Sheets)
=$E$1&A2Join the prefix in front with &: =$E$1&A2, with the prefix in E1. Fill down to apply it to the whole column.
- Result on the example
- one result per row in
B2, filled down toB7 - Works in
- Excel 2019 and later, including Microsoft 365
- Google Sheets
- Same formula
See it work
The formula is already in B2, filled down to B7. Change any input and the result updates, or edit the formula to experiment.
How it works
The & operator joins text in the order you write it, so the prefix goes first. $E$1 is locked so every row uses the same prefix as you fill down, while A2 moves with each row. Keeping the prefix in a cell lets you change it in one place.
=$E$1&A2Result"SKU-10442"
$E$1"SKU-"The value in E1.
A2"10442"The value in A2.
$E$1&A2"SKU-10442"The & operator joins as text.
In Google Sheets
The same formula works in Google Sheets: =$E$1&A2. We ran it in Google Sheets mode on the same data and it returns the same results.
Other ways to do it
Each one was run on the same example sheet.
| Formula | Result | When to use it |
|---|---|---|
| =CONCAT($E$1,A2) | SKU-10442, SKU-10457, SKU-A2290… | The function form of &. Use CONCATENATE in Excel 2016 and earlier. |
Common mistakes
- Without the $ signs, E1 shifts to E2, E3… as you fill down and the prefix disappears.
- The result is text. Numeric IDs with leading zeros lose them first if they are stored as numbers; use
$E$1&TEXT(A2,"00000"). - To change only how the cells look and keep them as numbers, use a custom number format like
"SKU-"0instead.
Try it yourself
Same data, empty answer cell. Your formula is graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data, so a typed-in number won't pass.
Add text to the beginning of every cell
B2, add the prefix in E1 to the start of the product ID, then fill down to B7.Questions
How do I skip blank cells?
Test first: =IF(A2="","",$E$1&A2).
Can I do the whole column with one formula?
In Excel 365, =$E$1&A2:A7 spills a result for every row.
Checked by running on 2026-10-30: every formula and result on this page was calculated by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine, in both Excel and Google Sheets modes.