How to add a character in a text string in Microsoft Excel

Adding a character to a text string in Microsoft Excel can be useful for formatting or manipulating data. Adding characters may be used as a delimiter for data that needs to be imported or exported from Excel to another system. By adding a delimiter such as a semicolon or a pipe symbol to a text string, you can ensure that the data is properly formatted for the other system. 

In this tutorial we will learn how to add a character in a text string in Microsoft Excel. Characters  can be added to a text string in Microsoft Excel by using the CONCATENATE function or the ampersand (&) operator. Let’s discuss both these methods one by one.

We possess a dataset comprising the names and email addresses of employees. To consolidate this data, we will merge the names and email addresses into a single cell and separate them by inserting a character, such as a comma (,).

Method 1 : Using CONCATENATE Function

Step 1 – Select a Blank Cell

• Select a Blank targeted cell where you want to print the text string after adding a character.

Step 2 – Place an Equals Sign

• Place an Equals sign ( = ) in the targeted blank cell.

Step 3 – Use the CONCATENATE Function

• The CONCATENATE function in Excel is used to join two or more text strings into one string. The function can be used to combine text from different cells or to combine text with other characters, such as commas or spaces.
• The syntax for CONCATENATE function will be 

                                         CONCATENATE(A2, “ , “ , B2)

• Where A2 is the address of the in which we will add a character.
• “ , “ is a character which we will add in the text.
• B2 is the cell containing the email address which we will combine with the text string of A2 i.e. the names.

Step 4 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter Key to add the Character.

Step 5 – Adding the Character to All the Cells in Data

• Apply the CONCATENATE function to all the cells in the data using the “Handle Select” and “Drag and Drop” method.

Method 2 : Using Ampersand (&) Operator Function

Step 1 – Select a Blank Cell

• Select a Blank targeted cell where you want to print the text string after adding a character.

Step 2 – Place an Equals Sign

• Place an Equals sign ( = ) in the targeted blank cell.

Step 3 – Use the Ampersand (&) Operator 

• The ampersand (&) operator in Excel is used to join two or more text strings into one string. The operator can be used to combine text from different cells or to combine text with other characters, such as commas or spaces.
• The syntax for CONCATENATE function will be 

                                         A2&” , ”&B2)

• Where A2 is the address of the in which we will add a character.
• “ , “ is a character which we will add in the text.
• B2 is the cell containing the email address which we will combine with the text string of A2 i.e. the names.

Step 4 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter Key to add the Character.

Step 5 – Adding the Character to All the Cells in Data

• Apply the Ampersand operator to all the cells in the data using the “Handle Select” and “Drag and Drop” method.