How to add text to a cell in Microsoft Excel

In spreadsheet applications, it is a frequent practice to include new text in cells as a way of updating information without replacing the entire cell content. When dealing with text data in Excel, you may find it necessary to add identical text to multiple cells to enhance clarity. For instance, you might opt to add a prefix to the beginning of each cell, append a unique text to the end, or introduce specific text before a formula.

In this tutorial we will learn how to add text to a cell in Microsoft Excel.It is a routine procedure to include text in an Excel cell. There are various techniques available to add text to existing cells, such as utilizing the CONCATENATE function or the ampersand operator.

In this particular dataset, where names are listed, we intend to insert the prefix “Mr.” before each name. To achieve this, we will use two methods i.e. by the CONCATENATE function and the Ampersand (&) operator.

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 text.

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(“Mr.”,A2)

• Where the first argument i.e.”Mr.” is the text to be added and the second argument i.e. A2 is the address of the cell in which the text is to be added.

Step 4 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter Key to add the text to the cell.

Step 5 – Add the Text in all the Data

• Apply the CONCATENATE function to all 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 cell after adding the text.

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 

                                        ”Mr.”&A3

• Where the second argument i.e. “Mr.” is the text to be added and the second argument i.e. A3 is the address of the cell in which the text is to be added.
• You may exchange the places of both the arguments if required.

Step 4 – Press the Enter Key

• Press the Enter Key to add the text.

Step 5 – Add the Text in all the Data

• Apply the Ampersand ( & ) operator to all the data using the “Handle Select” and “Drag and Drop” method.