CONCAT Function in Google Sheets: Explained

‍

In this article, you will learn how to use the CONCAT formula in Google Sheets.

‍

‍

What does the CONCAT formula do in Google Sheets?

‍

The CONCAT function is equivalent to the “&” operator and allows you to combine two values in cells. However, you can’t include any space or other signs, marks, or values between them as you can in the CONCATENATE function.

‍

So, you should use the CONCAT formula when you want to combine two values as they are, without any space between them.

‍

‍

How to use the CONCAT function in Google Sheets

‍

To use the CONCAT function in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

‍

• Type the equal sign (=) to begin the function, and then type CONCAT to start the function.

‍

• Inside the parentheses, manually type the two values separated by commas. For example, to combine the text in cells A1 and B1, you would type =CONCAT(A1, B1).

‍

• Press Enter on your keyboard to complete the function and display the combined text in the selected cell.

‍

Note 1: When you enter a value manually in the formula, you need to enclose it with quotation marks.

‍

Note 2: When you use references to cells to input values in the formula, you can’t choose a range for either of the arguments in the CONCAT formula. You only can select a single cell as an input value.

‍

‍

‍

What is the difference between CONCAT and CONCATENATE functions in Google Sheets?

‍

As we explained above, the CONCAT has limited functionality, which only allows you to combine two values as they are. With the CONCATENATE formula, you can work on values more flexibly. For example, you can insert a space between two values if you specify it in the formula, and select a range (e.g., A1:A3)  as an input value for the formula.

‍

Therefore, although the CONCAT is easy to use for its simplicity, we recommend you use the CONCATENATE function, which does what the CONCAT does and gives you more flexibility and variety in your work.

‍

‍

How to use the CONCATENATE function instead of the CONCAT function

‍

Navigate to this page to learn more about the CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets: How to Use the CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets

‍