Summary

The Excel CONCAT function joins text from multiple cells or ranges into a single string. It is the modern replacement for the older CONCATENATE function, with one key upgrade: CONCAT accepts entire cell ranges like A1:A10 as input, while CONCATENATE requires you to list every single cell individually. This makes CONCAT much faster when you need to join a list of values from a column.

CONCAT does not add any separator between values automatically. If you want a space, a comma, or a dash between items, you need to include that separator as a text string inside the formula. For situations where you want a separator added automatically across a long list of cells, the better choice is TEXTJOIN, which lets you set a separator once and apply it to a whole range.

Syntax

=CONCAT(text1, [text2], ...)

CONCAT takes one or more arguments. The first, text1, is required and can be a cell, a range, or a text string. All additional arguments are optional. You can mix cells, ranges, and typed text in any order — for example, =CONCAT(A1, " - ", B1:B3) joins A1 with a dash and then appends all values from B1 to B3. CONCAT was introduced in Excel 2016. If you need to support older versions of Excel, use the & operator instead.

Arguments

• text1 — [Required] The first item to join — a cell, a range, or a text string in quotes.
• text2, ... — [Optional] More items to join. You can add up to 253 more arguments.

CONCAT vs Other Functions

Think of the text-joining functions as a progression from old to modern. The older functions required more typing and did not support ranges. The newer ones are more flexible and handle common use cases automatically.

In practice, if you are joining just two or three cells, the & operator is often the quickest approach — like =A1&" "&B1. If you are joining a list of values where every item needs the same separator, use TEXTJOIN. Use CONCAT when you need to join a range quickly but the separator logic is different between items, like building a formatted code or address where some separators are dashes and others are spaces.

Using CONCAT

The most common use for CONCAT is building identifier strings from separate columns. For example, if you have a department code in column A, a sequence number in column B, and a year in column C, you can combine them into a product code like =CONCAT(A1,"-",B1,"-",C1). This gives you a consistent code format across every row without needing to type or copy-paste anything manually.

One important thing to know about CONCAT is that it does not preserve number formatting. If cell A1 contains the date 1 January 2025, joining it with CONCAT will give you the raw serial number (like 45658) instead of the formatted date. To include a formatted date or currency value inside a CONCAT formula, wrap the number first with the TEXT function: =CONCAT("Order date: ", TEXT(A1,"dd/mm/yyyy")).

• Add separators manually as text strings inside the formula — CONCAT will not add them for you.
• Use TEXT() inside CONCAT when joining dates, currencies, or any number that needs a specific format.
• For joining a long list with the same separator, switch to TEXTJOIN — it is much faster to write.

Example 1 — Joining Two Cells with a Space

The simplest use: join a first name and last name from two separate cells. You add the space as a text string in the middle. The same pattern works for any two pieces of text you want to combine.

=CONCAT(A1, " ", B1)   // "Hello World"
=CONCAT(A1, ", ", B1)  // "Hello, World"

Example 2 — Joining an Entire Range

CONCAT can take a range directly, which is the main upgrade over CONCATENATE. All values in the range are joined with no gap between them. This is useful for creating compact codes from a list of values or for testing what a column of text looks like when merged together.

=CONCAT(A1:A3)      // Joins A1, A2, A3 with no separator
=CONCAT(A1:A3, "X") // Adds "X" after the whole joined range

Example 3 — Building a Formatted Address

When your spreadsheet has address parts in separate columns, CONCAT brings them together into a properly formatted single line. You control the spacing and punctuation by typing separators as text inside the formula.

=CONCAT(A3, ", ", B3, " ", C3)
// "123 Main St, New York 10001"

Example 4 — Creating a Dynamic Product Code from Cell Values

Instead of typing codes manually, CONCAT lets you build them from data already in the spreadsheet. When the values in A4, B4, or C4 change, the product code updates automatically — no manual editing needed.

=CONCAT(A4, "-", B4, "-", C4)
// "ENG-042-2025" — changes whenever any cell changes

Remember that CONCAT is only available in Excel 2016 and later. If your spreadsheet might be opened by someone using an older version of Excel, use the & operator instead — it works in all versions and behaves the same way for simple joins.

• CONCAT replaces CONCATENATE — use CONCAT in all new formulas.
• Numbers joined by CONCAT lose their formatting — use TEXT() to format them first.
• If you need the same separator between every item, TEXTJOIN is a cleaner option.

A practical rule: use & for quick two-cell joins, CONCAT when joining a range, and TEXTJOIN when the separator is always the same across a long list.

Conclusion Recap

• Summary: CONCAT joins text from multiple cells or ranges into a single string.
• Syntax: =CONCAT(text1, [text2], ...) — any mix of cells, ranges, and text strings.
• Arguments: The first argument is required. All others are optional, up to 253 total.
• Key advantage: Accepts cell ranges like A1:A10 — something CONCATENATE cannot do.
• Practical usage: Building product codes, assembling addresses, joining names from separate columns.
• Best pattern: Use TEXT() inside CONCAT whenever you need to include a date or number with its formatting preserved.