JOIN

• How to use JOIN formula?
• Examples of using JOIN formula
• JOIN formula not working?
• Similar formulas to JOIN

Usage

Use the JOIN formula with the syntax shown below, it has 2 required parameters and 1 optional parameter:

=JOIN(delimiter, value_or_array1, [value_or_array2, ...])

1. delimiter (required):
   The delimiter string to be inserted between each element of the arrays being joined. This can be any text string, including a space or comma.
2. value_or_array1 (required):
   The first value or array to be joined. This can be a single value, a cell reference, or an array of values or cell references.
3. value_or_array2, ... (optional):
   Optional additional values or arrays to be joined. You can include up to 30 values or arrays in one formula.

Examples

Combine first and last names

Use JOIN to combine the first name and last name in separate columns into a single column. For example, if the first name is in cell A2 and the last name is in cell B2, the formula would be =JOIN(" ", A2, B2).

Create a comma-separated list

Use JOIN to create a comma-separated list of values from a range of cells. For example, if the values you want to join are in cells A2 through A5, the formula would be =JOIN(", ", A2:A5).

Join multiple arrays

Use JOIN to combine multiple arrays into a single column. For example, if you have two arrays of values in cells A2:A5 and B2:B5, the formula would be =JOIN(", ", A2:A5, B2:B5).

Join values with a line break

Use JOIN to create a list of values with each value on a new line. For example, if the values you want to join are in cells A2 through A5, the formula would be =JOIN(" ", A2:A5).

Common Mistakes

Forgetting to specify the delimiter

If you forget to specify the delimiter argument in the JOIN formula, the formula will return an error. Make sure to include the delimiter argument and specify the character or string of characters you want to use to separate the joined elements.

Using non-text values

The JOIN formula is used to join text values together. If you try to join non-text values, such as dates or numbers, the formula will return an error. Make sure to convert any non-text values to text before using them in the JOIN formula.

Related Formulas

The following functions are similar to JOIN or are often used with it in a formula:

• CONCATENATE

  The CONCATENATE function in Google Sheets is used to combine text strings from different cells or inputted directly in the formula. It takes one or more text strings as input and returns a single concatenated string. This function is commonly used to combine first and last names, or to merge data from multiple cells into a single cell.

• SPLIT

  The SPLIT formula in Google Sheets is used to split a text string into separate cells based on a delimiter. It is commonly used when you have a large text string that you need to break down into smaller parts. The resulting parts are placed into individual cells, making it easier to work with and analyze the data.

• ARRAYFORMULA

  The ARRAYFORMULA formula in Google Sheets allows for the application of a formula to an entire column or range of data, without needing to manually copy the formula to each cell. It is most commonly used to simplify and automate complex calculations across large data sets.

• TRANSPOSE

  The TRANSPOSE formula in Google Sheets allows you to flip a table of data by turning rows into columns and columns into rows. This can be useful for reorganizing data or preparing it for use in other formulas.

Learn More

You can learn more about the JOIN Google Sheets function on Google Support.