If you work with data in Microsoft Excel, you may find yourself in a situation where you need to merge two or more cells into a single cell. For example, you may have a list of employees and their contact information, and you want to merge the cells that contain the employees’ first and last names into a single cell. Or, you may have a list of products and you want to merge the cells that contain the product names and descriptions into a single cell. Whatever the reason, Excel makes it easy to merge cells into a single cell.
In this article, we’ll show you how to merge cells in Excel so that you can combine data into a single cell. We’ll also show you how to unmerge cells in Excel if you need to split a merged cell back into its original, separate cells.
How to Merge Cells in Excel
To merge cells in Excel, follow these steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge. You can select multiple cells by holding down the Ctrl key while you click on the cells.
- Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group.
Excel will merge the selected cells into a single cell. If the selected cells contain data, the data will be combined into a single cell, with each piece of data separated by a space. If the selected cells are blank, the merged cell will be blank.
How to Unmerge Cells in Excel
To unmerge cells in Excel, follow these steps:
- Select the merged cell that you want to unmerge.
- Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Merge & Center button in the Alignment group.
Excel will unmerge the selected cell, and the data that was in the merged cell will be split into the individual cells that were merged.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Keep the Data
If you try to merge cells that contain data, you’ll notice that the data is combined into a single cell, with each piece of data separated by a space. If you want to merge cells and keep the data in separate cells, you can use the Concatenate function.
To use the Concatenate function, follow these steps:
- Select the cell where you want the merged data to appear.
- Click the Formulas tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Text button in the Function Library group.
- Click the Concatenate function.
- Click the Cell button in the Reference group.
- Click the first cell that you want to merge.
- Click the Add button.
- Click the second cell that you want to merge.
- Click the OK button.
- Click the OK button.
The Concatenate function will merge the data from the selected cells into the cell where you entered the function. The data will be combined into a single cell, with each piece of data separated by a space.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Keep the Data in Separate Cells
If you want to merge cells and keep the data in separate cells, you can use the Concatenate function, as we described above. Alternatively, you can use the Text to Columns feature.
To use the Text to Columns feature, follow these steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge.
- Click the Data tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Text to Columns button in the Data Tools group.
- Click the Delimited option.
- Click the Next button.
- Clear the Tab checkbox.
- Clear the Semicolon checkbox.
- Clear the Comma checkbox.
- Clear the Space checkbox.
- Clear the Other checkbox.
- Enter a space in the Other text box.
- Click the Finish button.
The Text to Columns feature will split the data in the selected cells into separate cells, based on the space character that you entered. The data will be split into as many cells as there are spaces in the data.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Center the Data
If you want to merge cells and center the data, you can use the Merge & Center button, as we described above. Alternatively, you can use the Center button in the Alignment group on the Home tab.
To use the Center button, follow these steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge.
- Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Center button in the Alignment group.
The Center button will center the data in the selected cells. If the selected cells contain data, the data will be centered in the cells. If the selected cells are blank, the cells will be centered.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Keep the Data Left-Aligned
If you want to merge cells and keep the data left-aligned, you can use the Merge & Center button, as we described above. Alternatively, you can use the Align Left button in the Alignment group on the Home tab.
To use the Align Left button, follow these steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge.
- Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Align Left button in the Alignment group.
The Align Left button will left-align the data in the selected cells. If the selected cells contain data, the data will be left-aligned in the cells. If the selected cells are blank, the cells will be left-aligned.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Keep the Data Right-Aligned
If you want to merge cells and keep the data right-aligned, you can use the Merge & Center button, as we described above. Alternatively, you can use the Align Right button in the Alignment group on the Home tab.
To use the Align Right button, follow these steps:
- Select the cells that you want to merge.
- Click the Home tab on the Ribbon.
- Click the Align Right button in the Alignment group.
The Align Right button will right-align the data in the selected cells. If the selected cells contain data, the data will be right-aligned in the cells. If the selected cells are blank, the cells will be right-aligned.
How to Merge Cells in Excel and Keep the Data Top-Aligned
If you want to merge cells and keep the data top-aligned, you can use the Merge & Center button, as we described above. Alternatively, you can use the Align Top button in the Alignment group on the Home
Excel is a powerful tool that can help you organize and analyze data quickly and efficiently. One of the most useful features of Excel is the ability to merge cells. Merging cells allows you to combine two or more cells into one larger cell, which can be helpful for formatting and organizing your data. In this article, we will provide you with the ultimate guide on how to merge cells in Excel.
Step-by-Step Guide to Merging Cells in Excel
Step 1: Select the Cells You Want to Merge
The first step in merging cells in Excel is to select the cells you want to merge. To do this, click and drag your mouse over the cells you want to merge. You can also select multiple cells by holding down the “Ctrl” key on your keyboard while clicking on each cell.
Step 2: Click the “Merge & Center” Button
Once you have selected the cells you want to merge, click the “Merge & Center” button in the “Alignment” section of the “Home” tab. This button looks like four small cells with an arrow pointing to the center.
Step 3: Choose Your Merge Options
When you click the “Merge & Center” button, a drop-down menu will appear with several merge options. You can choose to merge cells and center the text, merge cells without centering the text, or merge cells across multiple rows or columns. Choose the option that best fits your needs.
Step 4: Format Your Merged Cells
After you have merged your cells, you may want to format them to make them stand out. You can change the font size, color, and style, as well as add borders and shading. To format your merged cells, select the merged cell and use the formatting options in the “Font” and “Border” sections of the “Home” tab.
Tips and Tricks for Merging Cells in Excel
Here are some additional tips and tricks to help you merge cells in Excel:
- You can merge cells across multiple rows or columns by selecting the cells you want to merge and clicking the “Merge & Center” button, then choosing the “Merge Across” option.
- If you want to merge cells without centering the text, choose the “Merge Cells” option instead of the “Merge & Center” option.
- If you want to unmerge cells, select the merged cell and click the “Merge & Center” button again, then choose the “Unmerge Cells” option.
- Be careful when merging cells that contain data. Merging cells can cause you to lose data if you are not careful. Always make a backup of your data before merging cells.
Conclusion
Merging cells in Excel can be a powerful tool for formatting and organizing your data. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can merge cells quickly and easily. Remember to always make a backup of your data before merging cells, and experiment with different formatting options to make your merged cells stand out.
