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To combine multiple columns into one column, you can either stack the columns vertically (turn columns A, B, C into one long column) or concatenate columns into a single cell (join values from several columns into one cell per row). Choose the method below that matches your goal.

How do I stack multiple columns into one column?

To stack multiple columns into one column, use one of these methods, ordered by ease and reliability.

Method 1 — Power Query (recommended, works on Windows and recent Mac Excel)

1. Select any cell in your table or range.

2. On the Data tab choose From Table/Range. Create a table if prompted.

3. In Power Query Editor, select the columns you want stacked.

4. Right-click on any selected column header and choose Unpivot Columns → Unpivot Only Selected Columns.

5. Remove the Attribute column if you do not need it. Keep the Value column — it is your stacked column.

6. Click Close & Load to return results to Excel.

Method 2 — Excel 365 dynamic function (fastest if available)

1. If you have the TOCOL function:

   • Formula: =TOCOL(A1:C100, 1) where 1 instructs ignoring blanks.

2. If you have VSTACK and prefer explicit stacking:

   • Formula: =VSTACK(A1:A100, B1:B100, C1:C100)

3. Enter the formula in a single cell; Excel spills the results into rows below.

Method 3 — Formula for older Excel (no Power Query, no dynamic array)

1. Assume you have three columns A, B, C of equal height n (rows 1..n).

2. In a helper column, start at row 1 and use this formula, then copy down until blanks appear:

   =INDEX($A$1:$C$100, 1 + MOD(ROW()-1, ROWS($A$1:$A$100)), 1 + INT((ROW()-1)/ROWS($A$1:$A$100)))

3. Adjust $A$1:$C$100 to your actual range. Stop when the formula returns blanks.

4. Filter or copy-paste values to remove blanks.

Method 4 — VBA macro (use when you need repeatable automation)

1. Press Alt+F11, Insert → Module, paste a short macro that reads columns and writes values into one column.

2. Run the macro.

3. Use this approach when you must repeat stacking often or work with very large ranges.

How do I concatenate multiple columns into one cell per row?

To join several columns into one single cell per row, use one of these methods.

Method A — TEXTJOIN (recommended when available)

1. In the column where you want the result, enter:

   =TEXTJOIN(" ", TRUE, A2:C2)

2. " " is the delimiter (space). TRUE ignores empty cells.

3. Copy down the formula.

Method B — CONCAT or CONCATENATE

1. Use =CONCAT(A2, " ", B2, " ", C2) or legacy =CONCATENATE(A2," ",B2," ",C2).

2. Copy down.

Method C — Ampersand operator

1. Use =A2 & " - " & B2 & " - " & C2.

2. Adjust delimiter as needed.

What is different between Windows and Mac?

1. Power Query is fully integrated in most Excel for Windows versions and is available in recent Excel for Mac (Microsoft 365). Older Mac Excel builds may not include Power Query.

2. Dynamic array functions (TOCOL, VSTACK, SEQUENCE) and TEXTJOIN are available in Microsoft 365 on both platforms; older perpetual-license versions on Mac may lack them.

3. VBA works on both Windows and Mac, but keyboard shortcuts and certain object model features can differ.

Which method should I choose?

1. Use Power Query when you want a clean, repeatable way to stack columns with minimal formulas.

2. Use TOCOL/VSTACK if you have Excel 365 and prefer a single formula.

3. Use TEXTJOIN for row-level concatenation.

4. Use VBA when automating across many sheets or very large ranges.

Quick examples (no platform names in content)

1. To turn columns A, B, C into one long list using Power Query: follow the steps under Method 1.

2. To join columns A,B,C into a single cell per row with a comma: =TEXTJOIN(", ", TRUE, A2:C2).

Troubleshooting & tips

1. Remove unwanted blanks by specifying ignore options (TRUE in TEXTJOIN, TOCOL ignore argument).

2. Convert results from formulas to values using Copy → Paste Special → Values when you need a static list.

3. When using Power Query, refresh the query after your source data changes: Data → Refresh.

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