Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

This add-on will become your best assistant for merging values in adjacent cells. Three simple settings let you decide if you want to combine multiple columns or rows, pick the delimiter for the records, and choose a place for the results. 
-	Join values horizontally, vertically, or bring all records from the selected range into one cell.
-	Add results to the existing values or as a new column or row.
-	Merge cells without losing your data: you can avoid the standard problem of “Keeping data only in the top leftmost cell” and retain all your records while removing borders between them.
-	Skip blanks, wrap text, and choose other additional options that tailor the results to your needs.

Besides, there is a special option that creates a backup copy of your sheet in case you want to keep it the way it was. You can set up the process in under a minute and concatenate data in seconds. 

30 DAYS OF FREE USE

Fully functional 30-day trial period. All payments are secure and include an unconditional 30-day money-back guarantee.

If you have any questions about the add-on, please post them here:
https://www.ablebits.com/docs/google-sheets-merge-values/
We'll be happy to assist!

Merge Values is a proud member of the Ablebits product family. We build add-ons that help you make the most of Google Workspace. Visit our official website to learn more:
https://www.ablebits.com/google-sheets-addons.php
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WHAT'S NEW:
***** V1.10 (20 Apr 2022) *****
Improved: 
- The limit for total cells in a spreadsheet is expanded to 10 million cells.
- Minor UX and UI improvements.

Fixed:
- Errored if you selected the entire sheet by clicking a gray rectangle between rows & columns.
- Cleared values from cells if merging all cells into one was impossible due to intersecting an existing filter.

***** V1.9 (6 Oct 2021) ***** 
Improved:
- Significant performance improvements in processing large amounts of data.
- Now knows how to process up to 5,000,000 cells.
- Minor UX improvements.

Fixed: 
- Continued to work endlessly after showing the message about the empty selected range.
- Incorrectly merged data in each row from multiple ranges.

***** V1.8 (5 May 2021) *****
Improved:
- You can now merge cells not only from neighboring columns but from multiple non-adjacent ranges as well.
- Performance improvements in processing large amounts of data.
- Minor UX improvements.

Fixed:
- The 'Date' and 'Currency' number formats changed after the merge.
- Errored if your 'Data validation' rules prevented them from editing the cells.
- Didn't work if you run them from a sheet with its own separate chart.

***** V1.6 *****
- Improved UI.
- Minor bugs fixed.
- We introduced yearly subscriptions, you can still enjoy a fully functional trial version of the add-on for 30 days.

Watch Video – How to Merge Cells In Google Sheets (How to Combine Columns in Google Sheets)

    • How to Merge Cells In Google Sheets
    • Steps to Unmerge Cells in Google Sheets
  • How To Merge Cells In Google Sheets FAQ and Extra Tips
    • How to Combine Two Columns In Google Sheets
    • Is There a Shortcut to Merge Cells in Google Sheets?
    • How Do I Merge Cells in the Mobile Version of Google Sheets?
    • Is There a Way to Merge Cells In Google Sheets Without Losing Data?
    • Why Can’t I Merge Cells In Google Sheets?
    • Can I Copy Merged Cells Without Copying Their Formatting?
    • How Do You Merge Cells in Google Sheets and Split?
    • How Do I Merge Data From Multiple Sheets in Google Sheets?
  • More to Learn
        • Sumit

When you work with data that has headers, sometimes, you may feel like you need to learn how to merge cells in Google Sheets.

For example, if you have the main header as Revenue and subheaders as 2016, 2017, and 2018, you can merge the three cells that make up the revenue header.

Something like shown below:

Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

As you can see in the example above, Revenue spans across three cells that have been not beem merged.

How to Merge Cells In Google Sheets

Here are the steps for merging cells in Google Sheets:

  1. Select the cells that you want to merge.
  2. Go to the Format tab and within the Google Spreadsheet Merge Cells options select Merge All.
    Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

That’s it!

This would instantly combine two cells in Google Sheets, it’s also how to merge two columns in Google Sheets, and how to merge rows in Google Sheets.

Note: When you merge cells, it only retains the value in the top left cell. If there is anything in cells apart from the top left cells, Google Sheets shows you the prompt as shown below.

Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Note: Instead of navigating to the menu you can use the shortcut in the toolbar as shown in the following screenshot:

Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Now also have a look at the merge cells options available in Google Sheet:

Related Reading: How to Group Columns in Google Sheets

Steps to Unmerge Cells in Google Sheets

Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Here are the steps to unmerge cells in Google Sheets:

  1. Select the merged cells that you want to unmerge.
  2. Go to the Format tab and within the Merge cells options select Unmerge.

This would instantly unmerge all the merged cells in Google Sheets.

How To Merge Cells In Google Sheets FAQ and Extra Tips

How to Combine Two Columns In Google Sheets

All you have to do to combine 2 columns into 1 in Google Sheets is use the merge vertically option from the merge menu. To merge rows you just have to use the merge horizontally option.

Is There a Shortcut to Merge Cells in Google Sheets?

There is no direct shortcut to merge cells. However, you can use keyboard shortcuts to open up the merge menu which is almost as quick. You just have to press Alt+O >M on windows or Control+Option+O > M on MacOS.

How Do I Merge Cells in the Mobile Version of Google Sheets?

  1. Select the cells you wish to merge by tapping and dragging or pulling the edge of the blue highlight box to cover all the cells.
    Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?
  2. Click the merge cells button
    Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Is There a Way to Merge Cells In Google Sheets Without Losing Data?

There is no solution to merge cells without losing data with the Google Sheets merge cells native function. However, you can install an add-on that will allow you to do this.

  1. Download and install Merge Cells
  2. Highlight the cells you want to merge
  3. Go to Extensions>Add-ons>Merge Cells
  4. Select how you want your data to combine from the available options
    Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Why Can’t I Merge Cells In Google Sheets?

One of the main reasons you can’t merge cells is because they’re locked. You’ll need administrator rights on the spreadsheet to be able to unlock them.

Can I Copy Merged Cells Without Copying Their Formatting?

No, unfortunately, you can’t. It’s a bit of a bother in Google Sheets. You’ll need to copy the text within the cell instead of the whole cell.

Also Read: How to Merge Cells in Excel.

How Do You Merge Cells in Google Sheets and Split?

You can use the SPLIT function after merging cells to split the data. We have a full guide on the split function here.

How Do I Merge Data From Multiple Sheets in Google Sheets?

You can use IMPORTRANGE to import data from several other sheets into one. Check out our IMPORTRANGE guide to learn more.

More to Learn

So this is how to merge cells in Google Sheets and even combine columns or rows easily.

I hope you found this tutorial useful! If you did, You May Also Like the Following Google Sheets Tutorials:

  • Concatenate in Google Sheets – Combine Cells Using Formula.
  • How to Split Text to Columns in Google Sheets.
  • How to Quickly Transpose Data in Google Sheets.
  • How to Compare Two Columns In Google Sheets
  • How to Combine Formula and Text in Google Sheets

Is there a way to merge cells in sheets and keep all data?

Sumit

Spreadsheet Expert at Productivity Spot | Website | + posts

Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel Expert.

How do I merge cells in Google sheets without losing data?

On your computer, open a spreadsheet in Google Sheets..
Select the rows, columns, or cells to merge..
At the top, click Format. Merge cells, then select how you want your cells to be merged..

How do you merge cells and keep all content?

Combine text from two or more cells into one cell.
Select the cell where you want to put the combined data..
Type = and select the first cell you want to combine..
Type & and use quotation marks with a space enclosed..
Select the next cell you want to combine and press enter. An example formula might be =A2&" "&B2..

Do you lose data when you merge cells?

With the Merge Cells add-in, you can combine data from several cells using any separator you like (e.g. space, comma, carriage return or line break). You can join values row by row, column by column or merge data from the selected cells into one without losing it.