How to Combine Two Columns in Google Sheets
Type =A2&" "&B2 to join two columns with a space between them — first name and last name become one full name in seconds.
=A2&" "&B2
The & operator glues values together; " " inserts a space between them. Change the separator to ", " or "-" as needed.
How it works
The ampersand & concatenates any values into one string. Put a literal separator in quotes between the cell references to control the spacing. For more than two columns, or to skip blanks cleanly, TEXTJOIN is tidier: it takes a delimiter once and a flag to ignore empty cells. To fill an entire column without dragging, wrap the join in ARRAYFORMULA.
Variations
Join many columns and skip blanks
=TEXTJOIN(" ",TRUE,A2:D2)
TRUE tells it to ignore empty cells so you get no double spaces.
Combine with a comma separator
=A2&", "&B2
Good for City, Country style output.
Fill the whole column in one cell
=ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A&" "&B2:B)
One formula that spills down every row automatically.
Examples
| Scenario | Formula |
|---|---|
| First + last name into full name | =A2&" "&B2 |
| Address parts into one line | =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,A2:D2) |
FAQ
What is the difference between & and CONCATENATE?
They do the same job. =A2&B2 is shorter; =CONCATENATE(A2,B2) is more readable. Neither adds a separator on its own — you supply it.
How do I combine columns without a space?
Just chain them: =A2&B2. Add a separator only if you want one, e.g. =A2&" "&B2.
How do I join a whole column at once?
Wrap the join in ARRAYFORMULA: =ARRAYFORMULA(A2:A&" "&B2:B). It fills every row from a single formula.