How to Merge Two Cells in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

Ladies and gentlemen, it’s time to talk about the ultimate Excel hack - merging two cells! Before I discovered this feature, I spent countless hours trying to line up everything in my spreadsheets perfectly. Merging cells is a lifesaver when you want to clean up your Excel workbook and create beautiful, readable reports without the hassle of getting into the details.

Why You Might Want to Merge Your Cells

Let’s say you have a table in your Excel spreadsheet with a header that spans multiple columns. Merging cells allows you to make a title that sits above columns A, B, and C, making it much easier to read. You can also use merged cells to create a large title or label for your spreadsheets or tables, as well as make custom cells that span multiple rows and columns.

Merging Two Cells in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

The process of merging cells in Excel is relatively easy and quick. Here’s how to do it:

1. Select the cells that you want to merge. You can select them by dragging your cursor over the cells or by clicking on individual cells while holding down the ‘Ctrl’ key.
2. Go to the ‘Home’ tab.
3. Select the ‘Merge and Center’ option under the ‘Alignment’ section, or click on the arrow on the right side of the ‘Merge and Center’ button and select ‘Merge Cells’ to have more customizable options.
4. You're done! The selected cells will now be merged into one cell, and the content in the upper-left cell will remain in the merged cell.

If you want to unmerge cells for any reason, follow the same steps but select the ‘Unmerge Cells’ option instead.

Using Merge & Center

The ‘Merge & Center’ feature is a quick and convenient way to merge cells in Excel. When you merge cells, you need to center the text to make it look neat and tidy. This is where Merge & Center comes in.

To use Merge & Center, select the cells you want to merge, click the ‘Merge & Center’ button under the ‘Alignment’ section on the ‘Home’ tab, and Excel will center the text in the merged cell for you. The result is awesome- you can clearly see the merged content, without worrying about alignment.

You can also use Merge & Center to remove cell borders and wrap text if needed, offering even more customization options. You can find those options if you click on the arrow on the right side of the ‘Merge and Center’ button.

Using the Merge Cells Option

If you have a specific alignment requirement, or if the ‘Merge & Center’ option doesn't answer your needs, you can use the ‘Merge Cells’ feature via the same button as Merge & Center. This allows for more customizable options and flexibility in your design. Here’s how:

1. Highlight the cells you want to merge, just as you would do when using Merge & Center.
2. Click on the drop-down arrow beside the Merge & Center button in the Home tab.
3. Select ‘Merge Cells.’
4. Another window will pop up allowing you to choose how you want the merged cells to look like. Change the settings according to your preferences, then click ‘OK.’

Final Words

Congratulations! You’ve learned how to merge two cells in Excel, and now you’re ready to take your spreadsheet game to the next level. Merging cells is a great way to keep your document clean and easy to read, saving you time by reducing the amount of scrolling you have to do. With Merge and Center, or the Merge Cells option, you’ll find yourself building beautiful, professional-looking sheets in no time.

If you have any further questions, feel free to browse the Excel community forums or visit Microsoft’s customer support website. Good luck mastering this skill, and happy merging!