• Skip to main content
  • Skip to header right navigation
  • Skip to site footer

Excelypedia

The Excel Encyclopedia of The Internet

  • Tutorials
  • Functions
  • Formulas
  • Templates

Merge Cells in Excel

March 1, 2021 by Andrew Childress
Merge Cells in Excel

Need to join two cells into one? Let's learn how to merge cells in Excel so that two cells (or more!) become one. An Easy Step-by-Step Guide.

Need to join two cells into one? Let’s learn how to merge cells in Excel so that two cells (or more!) become one.

Merge Cells in Excel

To merge cells in Excel, start by highlighting multiple cells. This can be across multiple columns or multiple rows.

Then, find the Merge & Center option on the ribbon on the Home tab. Click on Merge & Center, or choose Merge Across from the dropdown. (The options work basically the same, but Merge Across doesn’t center the cell content.)

Excel merge and center option

Keyboard shortcut: Alt + H + M

Be careful while working with this feature! If you’ve already entered data, merging cells will wipe out your data. When you merge cells in Excel, you’ll wipe out all but the data in the upper-left cell.

merge cells in Excel

How To Unmerge Cells in Excel

Decide you want to unmerge cells in Excel? That’s easy!

Just click on a merged cell. Then find the Merge & Center dropdown, and choose Unmerge Cells. 

Unmerge cells Excel

The content will move back into a single cell, and you’ll re-establish the adjacent cells.

How to Merge Cells in Excel Across A Selection

Many Excel experts are against merging cells. There are good reasons why. It makes it difficult to copy and paste data, apply changes, and manage your spreadsheet. You might have gotten an error like “Cannot change part of a merged cell” while working in Excel.

But, merging cells is useful for the reasons you already know like putting a header row covering multiple columns. So, what’s a better way to merge cells?

Let’s learn center across selection. It centers text over selected cells but doesn’t merge them together. Basically, your content will appear to cover the cells, but it’s actually only in a single cell.

Start by selecting text in a cell, as well as the other columns to center across. Basically, select the area that you want your text to center across.

Then, right-click and choose Format Cells > Alignment. Choose Center Across Selection in the Horizontal dropdown.

Excel center across selection

This approach keeps every cell working and doesn’t “remove” cells. It’s a more flexible feature, and the best way to get the benefits of merging without breaking Excel’s grid.

Category: Excel FunctionsTag: Excel, How To, Instructions, Tutorial

About Andrew Childress

Next Post:Unhide Columns in ExcelHide columns in Excel

Sidebar

Recent Posts

  • How to Do a Contingency Table in Excel
  • Format Cell Alignment in Excel
  • Default Width in Excel
  • Translate in Excel
  • Switch Windows in Excel

Categories

  • Basics
  • Examples
  • Excel Formulas
  • Excel Functions
  • Excel Shortcuts
  • Excel Templates
  • Excel Tutorials
  • Uncategorized

Excelypedia

Master Excel to add a highly valuable asset to your employability portfolio. Learn how to analyze data in Excel.

    • Facebook
  • Twitter
  • Instagram
  • YouTube

Learn

  • Functions
  • Formulas
  • Shortcuts

Legal

  • Privacy Policy
  • Cookie Policy
  • Terms & Conditions

Help

  • FAQ
  • Contact Us

Copyright © 2023 · Excelypedia · All Rights Reserved

Back to top