Excel CONCAT Function: Syntax, Examples and Tips

Part of the free Module 5: Excel Formulas and Functions · Function 14 of 105 · Full Excel course

The Excel CONCAT function joins two or more text values, numbers or entire ranges into one text string, without adding any separator. It replaces the older CONCATENATE function and, unlike CONCATENATE, it accepts cell ranges such as A2:A10. CONCAT is available in Excel 2019, Excel for Microsoft 365 and Excel for the web.

Table of Contents

Syntax

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

Arguments

Argument	Required / Optional	Meaning
text1	Required	The first item to join: a text string, number, cell reference or range.
text2, …	Optional	Up to 253 further items. Each can also be a range; ranges are read row by row.

How CONCAT works

CONCAT converts each argument to text and glues the pieces together in order. Blank cells contribute nothing, numbers appear exactly as stored (a date becomes its serial number) and any error in the inputs is returned as the result. The final string can be at most 32,767 characters; a longer result gives #VALUE!. Because CONCAT has no delimiter argument, you must add spaces or commas yourself, or use TEXTJOIN when you want a separator between every item.

Step-by-step example: build full names

Enter first names in column A and last names in column B, starting in row 2.
In C2 type =CONCAT(A2," ",B2). The middle argument is a text space so the names do not run together.
Press Enter and double-click the fill handle to copy the formula down.
To create an email prefix in D2, use =LOWER(CONCAT(LEFT(A2,1),B2)), which turns “John Smith” into “jsmith”.

Practical use cases

1. Join a whole range in one step

=CONCAT(A2:A6)

Combines five cells without listing each one. This is the main advantage over CONCATENATE.

2. Create a unique key for lookups

=CONCAT(B2,"-",C2,"-",D2)

Joining region, product and year gives a key such as North-Laptop-2026 that VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP can match exactly.

3. Keep number and date formatting

=CONCAT("Invoice ",A2," dated ",TEXT(B2,"dd-mmm-yyyy")," for ",TEXT(C2,"$#,##0.00"))

Wrap dates and amounts in TEXT; otherwise CONCAT shows 46023 instead of 01-Jan-2026.

4. Combine text with a line break

=CONCAT(A2,CHAR(10),B2,CHAR(10),C2)

Turn on Wrap Text to display each part on its own line.

Common mistakes and tips

#NAME? error: CONCAT does not exist in Excel 2016 (perpetual licence) or earlier. Use CONCATENATE or the & operator for backward compatibility.
Missing spaces: CONCAT never inserts separators. Add " " arguments or switch to TEXTJOIN.
Dates become numbers: always format dates and currency with TEXT before joining.
Range order: a two-dimensional range is read left to right, then top to bottom.
For a short join, =A2&" "&B2 is quicker to type and works in every Excel version.

CONCAT, TEXTJOIN or the ampersand: which to choose

All three join text, so the choice depends on the job. The ampersand operator is best for two or three items because it is short and works in every Excel version: =A2&" "&B2. CONCAT is best when you want to join a whole range or many cells without a separator, such as assembling a string of digits held in separate cells. TEXTJOIN is best when the same separator belongs between every item, for example building a comma-separated list of names, and when some cells may be blank, because its ignore_empty argument prevents double commas. In workbooks that must open in Excel 2016 or earlier, avoid CONCAT and TEXTJOIN entirely; a #NAME? error appears and the formula stops calculating until the file is opened in a newer version.

Related functions

TEXTJOIN: joins ranges with a delimiter and can skip empty cells.
CONCATENATE: the legacy function that CONCAT replaces.
TEXT: formats numbers and dates before they are joined.
LEFT: extracts characters that you often combine with CONCAT.
See all lessons in the Excel Formulas course.

Frequently asked questions

What is the difference between CONCAT and CONCATENATE?

CONCAT accepts ranges such as A2:A10 and is the current function; CONCATENATE only accepts individual values and is kept for compatibility with older workbooks.