How to merge cells in Excel
By the Analistable team · Updated · 2 min read
Select the cells and choose Home → Merge & Center (or the arrow next to it for Merge Across and Merge Cells). Excel keeps only the upper-left value and discards the rest. To keep everything, first combine the contents with =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A1:C1), paste that as a value, then merge. Merged cells break sorting and filtering, so for headings consider Center Across Selection instead.
Part of our guide: How to merge cells, columns and text in Excel
The merge options
| Option | What it does |
|---|---|
| Merge & Center | Merges the selection into one cell and centres the text |
| Merge Across | Merges each selected row separately (useful for many rows at once) |
| Merge Cells | Merges into one cell without changing alignment |
| Unmerge Cells | Splits a merged cell back into individual cells |
Keyboard: Alt, H, M, C for Merge & Center; Alt, H, M, U to unmerge.
Merge without losing data
- In a spare cell, combine the values:
=TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A1:C1). - Copy that cell and Paste Special → Values into A1.
- Clear B1:C1, select A1:C1 and merge.
For many rows, combine with a formula column first, paste as values, then use Merge Across. More combining formulas: combining text in Excel.
Why merged cells cause trouble
- Sorting fails with “To do this, all the merged cells need to be the same size”.
- Filtering shows only the first row of a vertically merged block.
- Copy and paste into a range with merged cells often errors.
- Formulas and lookups see the value only in the top-left cell; the rest are empty.
- Excel tables (Ctrl+T) don't allow merged cells at all.
For titles over several columns, Center Across Selection gives the same look without these problems.
Find and unmerge merged cells
- Press Ctrl+F, click Options → Format…, open Alignment, tick Merge cells and click OK.
- Click Find All, then press Ctrl+A in the results list to select every merged cell.
- Choose Home → Merge & Center → Unmerge Cells.
To fill the now-empty cells with the value above (so every row has data again): select the range, press F5 → Special → Blanks, type = and the up arrow, then Ctrl+Enter. Paste as values afterwards.
Merging in Excel for the web and on a Mac
Excel for the web has the same Merge & Center menu on the Home tab. On a Mac, use Home → Merge & Center or the arrow next to it; the Alt shortcuts don't apply, but you can add Merge & Center to the Quick Access Toolbar. Google Sheets uses Format → Merge cells — see merging cells in Google Sheets.
Frequently asked questions
- How do I merge cells in Excel without losing data?
- Combine the values first with TEXTJOIN or &, paste the result as a value into the top-left cell, then merge.
- Why is Merge & Center greyed out?
- The sheet may be protected, you may be editing a cell, or the selection is inside an Excel table, which doesn't allow merged cells.
- Can I sort a column with merged cells?
- Not reliably. Unmerge the cells first, or use Center Across Selection for headings.