How to use the TEXTJOIN function

The TEXTJOIN function is a relatively new function introduced in Excel 2019, it is like the CONCATENATE function on steroids or what the CONCATENATE function should have been from the beginning.

It allows you to combine text strings from multiple cell ranges and also use delimiting characters if you want. Not only that, you can also use it in array formulas.

1. TEXTJOIN Function Syntax

TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, text1, [text2], ...)

Back to top

2. TEXTJOIN Function Arguments

The similar CONCATENATE function forced you to select each cell in order to join text strings, see picture below. If you had to combine many many cells this function was not an option, you had to use a custom vba function.

You can use the TEXTJOIN function with a cell range or multiple cell ranges, this may save you a lot of time if you are working with many cells.

Back to top

3. How to join cell values without a delimiting character

The first argument in the TEXTJOIN function is the delimiter, the example above shows you the result in cell C4 if you use no delimiting characters.

The second argument lets you choose between TRUE or FALSE, if TRUE it will ignore empty cells. The third argument is the cell range.

The following article shows you how to add unique distinct values to a cell using the TEXTJOIN function:

Recommended articles

Concatenate unique distinct values
This article demonstrates Excel formulas that extract unique distinct values from a cell range and concatenates the values using any […]

Back to top

4. How to concatenate cell values ignoring empty cells

This picture shows you the TEXTJOIN function combining multiple cell ranges with a delimiting text string. It also ignores the empty cell A5. You can use up to 252 cell ranges.

Back to top

5. How to concatenate values based on a condition

It is possible to use the TEXTJOIN function in an array formula, here is a simple demonstration. You can see that the third argument contains:

This IF function checks if the numbers in cell range A1:A9 are above 5 and if they are the corresponding value in cell range B1:B9 is returned.

Numbers 6,7,8 and 9 are larger than 5 so corresponding characters F, G, H, and I are combined using the delimiting characters "--".

5.1 Explaining formula

Step 1 - Logical expression

The larger than character is a logical operator that lets you check if a number is larger than another number, the result is a boolean value TRUE or FALSE.

A1:A9>5

returns {FALSE; ... ; TRUE}.

Step 2 - Evaluate IF function

The IF function returns one value if the logical test is TRUE and another value if the logical test is FALSE.

IF(logical_test, [value_if_true], [value_if_false])

IF(A1:A9>5,B1:B9,"")

returns {""; ""; ""; ""; ""; "F"; "G"; "H"; "I"}.

Step 3 - Join values

TEXTJOIN("--", TRUE, IF(A1:A9>5, B1:B9, ""))

returns "F--G--H--I".

This post demonstrates how to do a lookup and concatenate returning values:

Recommended articles

Lookup and return multiple values concatenated into one cell
This article demonstrates how to find a value in a column and concatenate corresponding values on the same row. The […]

Back to top

6. TEXTJOIN function VBA for previous Excel versions

The following user defined function (udf) allows you to combine text strings just like the TEXTJOIN function.

Why would you want to use this udf? TEXTJOIN function is only available in Excel 365, previous excel versions are missing this function.

Back to top

6.1 VBA code

'Name User Defined Function, specify parameters and declare data types
Function TEXTJOIN(delimiter As String, ignore_empty As Boolean, ParamArray cell_ar() As Variant)

'For each statement, iterate through each cell range 
For Each cellrng In cell_ar

'For each statement, iterate through each cell in cell range 
For Each cell In cellrng

'If ... Then ... Else ... End If statement
'Check if parameter ignore_empty is equal to boolean value False
If ignore_empty = False Then

'Concatenate cell value and delimiter with variable result and save to result
result = result & cell & delimiter

'Go here if ignore_empty is not equal to False
Else

'Check if cell value is not equal to nothing
If cell <> "" Then

'Concatenate cell value and delimiter with variable result and save to result
result = result & cell & delimiter
End If
End If

'Continue with next cell value
Next cell

'Continue with next cell range
Next cellrng

'Remove last delimiter in variable result and return values to worksheet
TEXTJOIN = Left(result, Len(result) - Len(delimiter))
End Function

Back to top

6.2 Where do I put this code?

1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Visual Basic Editor (VBE).
2. Press with left mouse button on "Insert" on the menu.
3. Press with left mouse button on "Module".
4. Copy code above.
5. Paste it to the code module.
6. Exit VB Editor.

Back to top

6.3 How do I use it?

1. Select a cell.
2. Type Textjoin(
3. Type your three arguments and ending parentheses.
4. Press Enter.

Back to top

6.4 UDF arguments

delimiter - A text string, if you want nothing type ""

ignore_empty - If TRUE it ignores empty cells

text1, text2, ... - A cell range or multiple cell ranges. Use a comma to separate them.

6.5 UDF Syntax

TEXTJOIN(delimiter, ignore_empty, [text1, text2, ...])

Back to top

7. TEXTJOIN function - how to add row delimiting characters

The TEXTSPLIT function allows you to split a string using both column and row delimiting characters, however, the TEXTJOIN function lets you only use a column delimiting character.

There is a workaround to add row delimiting characters, add your row delimiting character after the last cell on each row, see the image above cell range E3:E5.

You can now use the TEXTSPLIT function to split the string to create a 2D array, 2D array is an array with both columns and rows.

Back to top

Get the Excel file

TEXTJOIN-functionv2.xlsm

9. Workaround for the TEXTSPLIT function - LAMBDA function

The TEXTSPLIT function splits a string into an array based on delimiting values.

Function syntax: TEXTSPLIT(Input_Text, col_delimiter, [row_delimiter], [Ignore_Empty])

The TEXTSPLIT function works only with single cells. If you try to use a cell range the TEXTSPLIT function returns only the first value in each cell. See the image above.

Formula in cell D3:

There is a workaround for this.

Join the cells using the TEXTJOIN function before splitting the strings.

Formula in cell D3:

This workaround is fine if the total character length is not above 32767 characters.

The image above shows a scenario where the total character count exceeds 32767 characters, the formula returns #CALC! error.

There is a workaround for this as well, the Excel 365 formula below doesn't have this limitation.

Excel 365 formula in cell E3:

Explaining the formula in cell E3

Step 1 - Split value into substrings

The TEXTSPLIT function splits a string into an array based on delimiting values.

Function syntax: TEXTSPLIT(Input_Text, col_delimiter, [row_delimiter], [Ignore_Empty])

TEXTSPLIT(y, " ")

Step 2 - Add arrays vertically

The VSTACK function combines cell ranges or arrays. Joins data to the first blank cell at the bottom of a cell range or array (vertical stacking)

Function syntax: VSTACK(array1,[array2],...)

VSTACK(TEXTSPLIT(x, " "),TEXTSPLIT(y, " "))

Step 3 - Create a LAMBDA function

The LAMBDA function build custom functions without VBA, macros or javascript.

Function syntax: LAMBDA([parameter1, parameter2, …,] calculation)

LAMBDA(x,y,VSTACK(TEXTSPLIT(x, " "),TEXTSPLIT(y, " ")))

Step 4 - Pass each cell value in cell range B3:B5 to the LAMBDA function

The REDUCE function applies each value in a cell range or array to a LAMBDA function, the result is a total value.

In this example, it is the opposite, each cell value is split into multiple substrings and the VSTACK function adds the arrays. The result is a larger array than the original size.

REDUCE(,B3:B5,LAMBDA(x,y,VSTACK(TEXTSPLIT(x, " "),TEXTSPLIT(y, " "))))

returns

{"A","A","A", ... ,"A";
"B","B","B", ... ,"B";
"C","C","C", ... ,"C"}

Get the Excel file

Add-arrays-recursive-LAMBDA.xlsx

Useful links

TEXTSPLIT function - Microsoft
TEXTSPLIT function in Excel: split cells / text strings by delimiter

'TEXTJOIN' function examples

5 easy ways to VLOOKUP and return multiple values
This post explains how to lookup a value and return multiple values. No array formula required.

A Comprehensive Guide to Splitting Text in Excel
This blog article describes how to split strings in a cell with space as a delimiting character, like Text to […]

Cleaning Up Excel Worksheets: Eliminating Blank Cells, Rows, and Errors
In this blog post I will demonstrate methods on how to find, select, and deleting blank cells and errors. Why […]

Functions in 'Text' category

The TEXTJOIN function function is one of 29 functions in the 'Text' category.

Excel categories

Comments (17)