How to merge cells in Google Sheets? Google Sheets is a spreadsheet application that allows you to create and edit spreadsheets online. The software has become very popular because it is free and simple to use.
You can easily add rows, columns, or even entire tables to your sheet. This makes it ideal for creating forms, tracking expenses, or keeping track of inventory.
However, merging cells can be tricky at first. In this article, we look at how to merge cells in Google Sheets and give you a step-by-step guide on how to do so, including some helpful screenshots.
Merge Cells in Google Sheets – step-by-step
Merging cells in Google Sheets is an easy way to keep your spreadsheet looking organized, tidy, and simple to understand or navigate through.
Most people use the feature for headers to find content across different columns. It might sound complicated, but it’s pretty simple to do.
Step
Open Up A Spreadsheet
To start with, open up any spreadsheet you like in Google Sheets but make sure it has data that needs merging.
Step
Highlight The Cells You Need To Merge
Next, you will need to click on ‘format’ and then ‘merge cells’. You can pick one of three options to do so.
Merge All: This option merges all the cells into one cell and spans the whole of the selection, both vertically and horizontally.
Merge Horizontally/Vertically: This option merges the cells into a row of the highlighted cells.
Depending on which way the cells are centered, you might not always have the option to merge horizontally and vertically.
For the example we have provided, as we need to merge only horizontal cells, we are not given the option to merge them vertically.
If you have data in every cell that you are trying to merge, in this case, we do not, but if so, a prompt would let you know that it was just the content in the leftmost cell that will be the same after merging.
The contents of all the rest of the cells will be deleted whilst merging. If you are ok with this, click on “OK” to take you to the next step.
After you click on which type of cell merging you need, the cells will join together as one large cell. See the image below as an example of what will happen to the data inputted in the first row.
Step
Format Your Merged Cells
If you are happy with the merge, you can continue to format all of the cell data, but since our merged cell is only for the first row, which could be an example of a title, the below example shows you how to center it over all of the merged cells.
Simply click on the align icon in the toolbar and “center” it up.
If you need to unmerge the cells, this is also a pretty easy process. Select the cell you want to unmerge and click ‘format’, ‘merge cells’, and then choose to ‘unmerge’ them.
If the cells you merged before this contained data in them, none of that data will be kept so keep this in mind.
Step
Edit Your Merged Cell
Once you have finished formatting the merged cell, you can move on to the formatting and editing of cells. Click on ‘Format’ and then ‘Font’.
From here, you can change the font color, size, boldness, and more. Get creative with your spreadsheet and remember to always double-check your data!
Final Thoughts
We hope after reading this article you have learned all you need to know about how to merge cells and how although it can seem scary and a little tricky, the process is relatively simple.
Follow our step-by-step instructions and you should be on your way to successfully merging your cells whenever you need to in no time!