CONCATENATE / CONCAT
TextbeginnerCONCATENATE (or its newer version CONCAT) combines text from multiple cells into a single string. Use it to build labels, create unique identifiers, or assemble formatted outputs. The ampersand (&) operator does the same thing and is often more readable.
Syntax
=CONCATENATE(text1, text2, ...) or =CONCAT(text1, text2, ...) or =text1 & text2All three work in Sheets. CONCATENATE, CONCAT, and the & operator are all supported.
Parameters
text1First text string or cell.text2?Additional strings. CONCATENATE supports up to 255; CONCAT and & have no practical limit.? = optional parameter
Worked Example
Create a label combining vendor name and category: 'Cloudline Software - Software'
| Row numbers | B | C | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Header row | vendor_name | category | result |
| 2 | Cloudline Software | Software | Cloudline Software - Software |
| 3 | Apex Office Supply | Office Supplies | Apex Office Supply - Office Supplies |
| 4 | Summit Consulting Group | Consulting | Summit Consulting Group - Consulting |
Formula
=CONCAT(A2, " - ", B2)Result
Cloudline Software - SoftwareCONCAT joins the text in A2, a dash separator, and the text in B2. In row 2, that combines 'Cloudline Software' and 'Software' into one label.
Practice Exercises
2 exercises - work through each one using the data table below
Question
Create a combined label for each invoice in the format: 'INV-1001: Cloudline Software'. What would the result be for the first row?
Dataset
Showing rows 1-5
Download CSV| Row numbers | A | B |
|---|---|---|
| Header row | ||
| 2 | INV-1001 | Cloudline Software |
| 3 | INV-1002 | Apex Office Supply |
| 4 | INV-1003 | Summit Consulting Group |
| 5 | INV-1004 | Meridian Travel Co. |
| 6 | INV-1005 | Forge & Frame Creative |
| 7 |
Scroll to explore the table, then sort or filter by column as needed.
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Your Answer
Question
Build a unique key by combining department and vendor name with an underscore: 'Engineering_Cloudline Software'. What's the result for the first row?
Dataset
Showing rows 1-5
Download CSV| Row numbers | A | B | C |
|---|---|---|---|
| Header row | |||
| 2 | INV-1001 | Cloudline Software | Engineering |
| 3 | INV-1002 | Apex Office Supply | Operations |
| 4 | INV-1003 | Summit Consulting Group | Finance |
| 5 | INV-1004 | Meridian Travel Co. | Sales |
| 6 | INV-1005 | Forge & Frame Creative | Marketing |
| 7 |
Scroll to explore the table, then sort or filter by column as needed.
Hints
Your Answer
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