How To Merge Cells In Excel

Microsoft Excel has various helpful features that assist users in grouping their data into columns and rows. Learning all of the functions can take hours, but learning how to combine cells in an Excel spreadsheet takes just a few minutes. It’s a one-of-a-kind feature that lets you organize and appealingly present your data.

Merging cells in Excel have several advantages, including combining several cells into a single larger one. It also aids in the formatting of the data by allowing for a focused heading through the spreadsheet. To grasp the idea, you must first learn the different methods for combining two Excel cells and then choose the right one.

Three easy approaches will teach you how to combine cells in Excel and make your life simpler. This does not imply that we are dividing individual box partitions since this is impractical. In Excel, merging cells only makes them appear marginally less noticeable in the combined set; however, it is not true that they break during the process.

Using the Merge & Center feature

The method entails using the HOME tab’s Merge & Center function to merge cells in Excel without merging the texts. Only the data from one of the small boxes (on the leftmost) is saved, while the rest is deleted. Let’s look at the table below, which shows the month of October, the year, and the days.

Looking at the table, you may decide to remove the text ‘2019’ and replace it with ‘October,’ which would cover all seven columns.

First, select the range A1 to G1 in the worksheet.
Go to the HOME tab and select Merge & Center.
A small window will pop-up, warning you that the process will only keep one value.
Click OK and observe the changes.

As you can see, the text ‘2019’ has been removed, leaving only ‘October’ to fill the entire column. Only the text from the leftmost cell (A1) remains, as you can see. It is possible to return to the previous format if you are unhappy with the latest changes. Select the combined data and press Merge & Center once more. The combined heading will break into two, and the text ‘October’ will return to its original location on the left.

In some instances, this approach may not be appropriate; thus, we must look for other, more proper ways to combine Excel cells.

Merging cells using a formula

Using the CONCATENATE formula feature, as opposed to the previous method, will combine both the cells and their respective texts without losing any data. Excel has a variety of operators that can be used to merge two cells for various purposes. The following data on student success will be included in this situation.

Instead of two partitions, you might format each name as a single partition. When performing this process, use column C as your working room.

Click cell C2 then type the formula =A2&” “&B2 and hit enter.
You will see that each name combines into one cell.
Repeat the process for the rest of the names.

By changing the function to =B2&” “&A2, you can swap the names so that the last name comes before the first. Separate the elements with a comma as =B2&”, “&A2” to add a comma between the names.

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The automatic technique

You might need a fast way to combine two cells in Excel if you’re dealing with many data. It is easy to use the automated process, and it will save you time. Discovering how Excel merges cells automatically should be reassuring. What is the mechanism behind this?

Use data in the previous example and delete the C column.
Click C2 and type ‘Winnie Terry’, and Excel will pick the concatenation.
Proceed to C3 and write the next name ‘Johnny Spike.’
You will notice that the moment you start typing, Excel will show the full name you want to order.
It uses the first name’s concatenation in step 1 to guess what you want in the following box.
Excel will also try to fill the remaining part of the column. Once you confirm they are correct, press enters, and the changes will implement immediately.

What happens when you change the format of your concatenation? Does Excel combine cells by picking the new formula or stick to the first one?

Once again, begin by deleting the data in the C column.
Click C2, and this time reverse the name and type as ‘Terry Winnie.’
Next, click C3 and type the name ‘Spike Johnny’ and observe what happens.
Excel will fill the remaining sections using the new format, just like on the previous occasion.
This confirms that Excel will always figure out your original idea or what you did previously and use it to apply to the other parts of the column.

How to use a keyboard shortcut to combine cells in Excel

Many people prefer to use keyboard shortcuts in their operations, which vary depending on their task. Windows users are familiar with the shortcuts ‘Control C’ for copying and ‘Control V’ for pasting, among others. How well do you know the Excel shortcut key for combining cells? To grasp how it works, consider the following:

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First, highlight the data you want to combine, in this case, A2 and B2.
Hold the ALT key on the keyboard until letters and numbers appear on the header.
Press H on the keyboard to select the HOME tab.
You will notice that the Merger & Center feature is assigned the letter M. Go back to your keyboard and Press M.
Different letters are given to the drop-down elements — Press C on your keyboard to select the first option.
A small window will appear with some warning. As previously discussed, click OK to implement the changes.

Formatting data using the ‘Center Across Selection option

To ensure your data in the merged cells align at the center, you need to use the Center Across Selection option to format the spreadsheet.

Highlight the data you want to merge.
Press Control + 1 on your keyboard.
A window box named Format Cells will appear on your screen.
Click the Alignment tab to select Center Across Selection under the Horizontal drop-down.
All data will be aligned at the center immediately without necessarily dealing with each cell individually.

As you can see, learning how to combine cells in Excel takes just a few minutes. Using the shortcut key is one of several basic methods that will help you through the process. So, which one is your favorite?

How To Merge Cells In Excel – A Simple Guide