# How to add text to the beginning of every cell in Excel

Join the prefix in front with &: =$E$1&A2, with the prefix in E1. Fill down to apply it to the whole column.

**Excel:** `=$E$1&A2` (Excel 2019 and later, including Microsoft 365)

**Google Sheets:** the same formula works.

## Example

Sample data (row 1 is the header):

| A | B | C | D | E |
| --- | --- | --- | --- | --- |
| Product ID | With prefix |  | Prefix | SKU- |
| 10442 |  |  |  |  |
| 10457 |  |  |  |  |
| A2290 |  |  |  |  |
| 10501 |  |  |  |  |
| B7731 |  |  |  |  |
| 10520 |  |  |  |  |

Formula in B2, filled to B7: `=$E$1&A2`

Result: SKU-10442; SKU-10457; SKU-A2290; SKU-10501; SKU-B7731; SKU-10520

## 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.

## Other ways

- `=CONCAT($E$1,A2)`: 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-"0` instead.

## 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.

Every formula and result on this page was checked by running it in the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine on 2026-10-30.

Source: https://spreadsheetpractice.com/formulas/add-text-to-beginning-of-cells