How to Merge Cells in Google Sheets, by Anson Alexander on YouTube. 3 min 37 s.
- Video length
- 3 min 37 s
- Time to do it
- 5 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 9
What you need
Steps
Open your spreadsheet in Google Sheets and click the first cell you want to include in the merge.
Hold Shift and click the last cell, or drag across the range, so the whole block is highlighted.
Check the toolbar for the Merge cells button. If it is greyed out, the selection already contains a merged cell.
Click the arrow next to the Merge cells button to open the merge options.
Pick Merge horizontally to join cells across one row, which works well for a title above several columns.
Pick Merge vertically to join cells down one column, useful for a label beside several rows.
Pick Merge all to combine a rectangular block of rows and columns into a single cell.
Alternatively, select the cells and go to Format, then Merge cells, and choose the same option from the menu.
Type your heading or text into the merged cell and press Enter to confirm.
Tips and common mistakes
Merging keeps only the content of the top left cell and deletes the rest, so copy anything important first.
Use merged cells for headings only, since they can break sorting, filtering and formulas that expect one value per cell.
To undo a merge, select the cell and click the Merge cells button again or choose Unmerge from the Format menu.
Questions
How do I know if cells are already merged?
A merged cell shows a single address in the name box and the Merge cells button looks pressed or greyed out when you select it.
Can I merge cells in the Google Sheets mobile app?
Yes. Select the cells, tap the format button, open the Cell tab and turn on Merge cells.
Does merging cells combine the text in them?
No. Only the top left cell's content stays. The other values are removed, so back up data before merging.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
