CONCATENATE function
CONCATENATE joins up to 255 text items into one string. It works in every version of Excel, which is why older workbooks are full of it, but each cell has to be listed separately. In Excel 2019 and later, CONCAT and TEXTJOIN do the same job with less typing.
- Available in
- Every current version
- Category
- Text functions
- Returns
- One text string.
Syntax
=CONCATENATE(text1, [text2], ...)
| Argument | Required? | What it is |
|---|---|---|
text1 | Required | The first item to join. |
text2 | Optional | More items, each a single cell, number or piece of text. |
Examples
Each result below is calculated from the sample sheet by our formula engine, the same one that grades the practice.
| Cell | Formula | Result | What it shows |
|---|---|---|---|
| D2 | =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2) | Maya Chen | First and last name with a space between |
| D3 | =CONCATENATE(LEFT(A3,1),". ",B3) | R. Patel | First initial and last name |
| D4 | =CONCATENATE(B4," x",C4) | Wong x4455 | Numbers join as plain digits |
Try it live
This is the sample sheet. Change any number or text, or edit a formula, and the results update.
Show the sample data as a table
| First | Last | Ext | Result |
| Maya | Chen | 4127 | Maya Chen |
| Raj | Patel | 4310 | R. Patel |
| Lee | Wong | 4455 | Wong x4455 |
Practice CONCATENATE
Graded instantly, then re-checked on changed data.
Build email addresses
C2, build each email address as first name, a dot, last name, then @acme.com, for example maya.chen@acme.com. Use CONCATENATE. Fill down to C6.Common mistakes
| What you see | Why, and how to fix it |
|---|---|
| A range doesn't join | CONCATENATE treats A2:C2 as separate values rather than one item, so you get several results (a spill in Microsoft 365), or a single value or #VALUE! in older versions. List the cells individually, or switch to CONCAT. |
| Words run together | CONCATENATE adds nothing between items. Put " " in as its own argument. |
Tips
- In any version, & is shorter: =A2&" "&B2 is the same as =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2).
Questions
Is CONCATENATE being removed from Excel?
No. It still works in every version for compatibility. Microsoft recommends CONCAT for new work, but existing formulas keep working.
How do I CONCATENATE a range of cells?
CONCATENATE can't join a range as one item. Use =CONCAT(A2:A10) for no separator, or =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,A2:A10) to put a separator between values.
Last reviewed October 2026. Every example result on this page is calculated live by the Spreadsheet Practice formula engine.