How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets: A Detailed Guide

Merging cells in Google Sheets is a common task when you want to combine data or format your spreadsheet to make it more visually appealing and organized.

Whether you're creating a report, summarizing information, or just trying to make your sheet easier to read, merging cells is an essential skill to have.

In this guide, we’ll dive into how to merge cells in Google Sheets using the most straightforward and commonly used method.

Along the way, we'll provide tips, facts, and practical advice to ensure you can merge cells effectively while avoiding common pitfalls.

Step-by-Step Guide to Merging Cells

The Basic Method: Merging Cells with the Toolbar

The most common and easiest way to merge cells in Google Sheets is by using the toolbar. Here’s how you can do it, step by step:

1. Open Google Sheets

First, open the Google Sheets document where you want to merge cells. If you don’t have a Google Sheets document open, you can create one by going to Google Sheets and clicking on "Blank" to create a new spreadsheet.

2. Select the Cells You Want to Merge

Once your sheet is open, identify the cells you want to merge. You can select adjacent cells horizontally, vertically, or even a block of cells. To do this, click on the first cell and drag your mouse over the other cells you wish to include in the merge. Alternatively, you can click the first cell, hold down the Shift key, and then click on the last cell in the range you want to merge.

3. Click the Merge Cells Icon in the Toolbar

After selecting your cells, look at the toolbar at the top of your Google Sheets. You should see an icon that looks like a square with two arrows pointing toward each other (left to right). This is the Merge cells button. Here’s how you use it:

Click the Merge cells icon. A drop-down menu will appear with three different merging options:

Merge all: Merges all selected cells into a single large cell.
Merge horizontally: Merges selected cells across a single row.
Merge vertically: Merges selected cells across a single column.

For most basic needs, you’ll likely choose Merge all to merge all selected cells into one. However, if you’re working with multiple rows or columns and want to maintain some structure, the other two options come in handy.

4. Observe the Result

After selecting your merge option, the cells will combine into one. If your cells contained text before merging, the contents of the upper-leftmost cell will remain, while the content from all other cells will disappear.

Pro Tip: Shortcut for Merging Cells

If you merge cells frequently, memorizing the keyboard shortcut can save you time. To merge cells using the shortcut:

Select your cells as usual.

Press Alt + O (Windows) or Option + O (Mac), then press M to bring up the merge menu, and finally press Enter to merge all selected cells.

Important Facts About Merging Cells in Google Sheets

Before you go wild merging cells across your spreadsheet, it’s essential to be aware of a few things that can affect how you work with merged cells:

Loss of Data in Non-primary Cells: When merging cells, only the contents of the top-leftmost cell (in a horizontal merge) or the top-most cell (in a vertical merge) will be retained. Any data in the other cells that were merged will be lost. Always double-check your data before merging to avoid losing important information.

Formatting Across Merged Cells: If your selected cells have different formats (such as font size, color, or alignment), the merged cell will generally take on the formatting of the upper-leftmost cell. You can reapply formatting after the merge if necessary.

Merged Cells and Sorting: Merged cells can cause issues when trying to sort data in your spreadsheet. Google Sheets doesn’t handle sorting well with merged cells in a data range, so avoid merging cells if you know you'll need to sort the data later.

Merged Cells and Formulas: If you’re using formulas, merged cells can sometimes break the logic of your sheet. For example, merged cells can disrupt the ability to perform calculations across a row or column. Always ensure that merging cells won’t interfere with important formulas.

How to Unmerge Cells

If you realize you made a mistake or simply want to revert your merged cells back to individual cells, it’s easy to unmerge them. Here's how:

Select the merged cell.

Click the Merge cells icon in the toolbar again and choose Unmerge.

Your previously merged cell will now be separated back into individual cells. Note that only the data from the top-left cell will be retained, and the other cells will remain empty.

Best Practices for Merging Cells

While merging cells can improve the appearance of your Google Sheets, it’s important to follow some best practices to keep your data manageable and functional:

Use Merged Cells for Titles or Headings: A great use of merged cells is for titles, headings, or labels at the top of your sheet. For example, merging cells across multiple columns allows you to create a clear, visually appealing title that spans the width of your data.

Avoid Merging Large Data Sets: When working with tables of data, avoid merging cells unless necessary. It’s better to keep the data in individual cells to make sorting, filtering, and applying formulas easier.

Center Align Merged Cells: After merging cells, it's common to center the text to make the spreadsheet look more balanced. You can quickly do this by selecting the merged cell and using the Center Align button in the toolbar.

Be Cautious with Merging and Collaboration: If you’re working on a shared Google Sheet with others, merging cells can cause confusion. Always communicate with your collaborators and ensure that merging cells won’t disrupt their work or make it harder for them to edit the sheet.

Additional Tip: Merging Cells Without Losing Data

A common complaint about merging cells is that Google Sheets only retains the content of the upper-leftmost cell, discarding the rest. If you need to keep all the data, you can use a workaround by concatenating the contents of the cells before merging.

For example, let’s say you want to merge the data from cells A1, A2, and A3. Instead of losing the data, you can first create a formula in an empty cell (e.g., B1):

This formula will combine the contents of all three cells, separated by spaces (or commas, dashes, etc.). Once combined, you can copy the result into a new cell and then merge the original cells.

Conclusion

Merging cells in Google Sheets is a simple yet powerful way to format and organize your spreadsheets. Whether you’re creating headers, combining text, or visually separating sections of your data, merging cells can improve readability and presentation. However, it's essential to use this feature wisely and with awareness of potential data loss, sorting limitations, and collaboration challenges.

By following the steps outlined above and applying the tips provided, you'll be able to merge cells efficiently and effectively, ensuring your Google Sheets are both functional and aesthetically pleasing. Happy spreadsheeting!