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How to Combine Text with CONCATENATE

Learn how to automatically create meta titles, descriptions, and other text fields by combining multiple product attributes.

When to Use This​

Use CONCATENATE when you need to:

  • Create meaningful page titles (meta titles)
  • Build product descriptions from attributes
  • Combine multiple fields into one
  • Add fixed text to variable data

Understanding CONCATENATE​

CONCATENATE combines up to 255 different values into a single text string.

Syntax​

=CONCATENATE(text1; text2; text3; ...)

Example​

=CONCATENATE("Hello"; " "; "World")

Result: "Hello World"

Step-by-Step: Create Meta Titles​

This example shows how to automatically generate SEO-friendly page titles from product attributes.

Step 1: Select the Meta Title Cell​

  1. Click the first cell in the Meta Title column
  2. Right-click > Format Cells > Select Standard (not Text)
  3. This ensures the formula will calculate

Step 2: Start the Formula​

In the formula bar, enter:

=CONCATENATE(

Step 3: Add Attributes​

Click the column headers of attributes you want to include, separating each with a semicolon:

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];[@[Product Name]];[@Color])

Step 4: Add Spaces​

Add spaces between attributes so they don't run together:

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];" ";[@[Product Name]];" ";[@Color])

Result: "Nike Running Shoe Black" (instead of "NikeRunning ShoeBlack")

Step 5: Add Descriptive Text​

Add fixed text to provide context:

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];" ";[@[Product Name]];" - Size ";[@[Shoe Size]];" - ";[@Color])

Result: "Nike Running Shoe - Size 42 - Black"

Step 6: Apply to All Products​

  1. Double-click the small black square at the bottom-right of the cell
  2. Or copy and paste the formula down the column
  3. Click "Save products" to transfer to your store

Common Use Cases​

Simple Product Title​

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];" ";[@[Product Name]])

Result: "Nike Running Shoe"

Title with Category​

=CONCATENATE([@Category];" - ";[@Brand];" ";[@Model])

Result: "Shoes - Nike Air Max 270"

Title with Price Point​

=CONCATENATE([@[Product Name]];" - Only ";[@Price];" EUR")

Result: "Running Shoe - Only 79.99 EUR"

Multi-Line Description​

=CONCATENATE([@[Product Name]];" by ";[@Brand];". ";[@[Short Description]];" Available in ";[@Color];".")

Result: "Running Shoe by Nike. Lightweight and comfortable. Available in Black."

Advanced Techniques​

Combine with IF for Conditional Text​

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];" ";[@[Product Name]];IF([@Type]="simple";" - Size ";"");[@[Shoe Size]])

Only includes size for simple products.

Add Line Breaks​

Use CHAR(10) for line breaks:

=CONCATENATE([@[Product Name]];CHAR(10);[@Brand];CHAR(10);[@Description])

Make sure to enable "Wrap Text" formatting to see the breaks.

Nested CONCATENATE​

For more than 255 parameters, nest functions:

=CONCATENATE([@Field1];CONCATENATE([@Field2];[@Field3]))

Alternative: The & Operator​

You can also use & instead of CONCATENATE:

=[@Brand]&" "&[@[Product Name]]&" "&[@Color]

Benefits of &:

  • Shorter syntax
  • Easier to read
  • Same result as CONCATENATE

Benefits of CONCATENATE:

  • More explicit and clear
  • Easier for beginners
  • Traditional Excel syntax

Tips​

  • Always add spaces: Use " " between attributes to separate words
  • Set format to Standard: Text format won't calculate formulas
  • Test first: Apply to one row before copying to all products
  • Use descriptive text: Add words like "Size", "by", "in" for clarity
  • Check length: Meta titles should be 50-60 characters for SEO

Building Effective Meta Titles​

SEO Best Practices​

  1. Include brand: Helps with brand recognition
  2. Add key attributes: Size, color, model number
  3. Keep it under 60 characters: Prevents truncation in search results
  4. Front-load important terms: Put brand/product name first
  5. Be descriptive: Help users understand what they'll find

Example Formula​

=CONCATENATE([@Brand];" ";[@Model];" ";[@Color];" - ";[@Category];" | Your Store")

Troubleshooting​

Formula showing as text?

  • Cell format is set to "Text"
  • Change to "Standard": Right-click > Format Cells > Standard

Attributes running together?

  • Missing space separators
  • Add " " between each attribute

Getting #NAME! error?

  • Misspelled CONCATENATE
  • Column reference has typo
  • Missing brackets around column names

Result is too long?

  • Remove less important attributes
  • Shorten fixed text
  • Check character count with LEN function: =LEN([@[Meta Title]])

Empty values showing?

  • Use IF to check: =IF([@Color]<>"";CONCATENATE(" ";[@Color]);"")
  • Or use IFISEMPTY (coming soon)

Performance Tips​

  • CONCATENATE recalculates when any referenced cell changes
  • For large datasets, consider copying results and pasting as values
  • Use templates in cobby to save and reuse formulas
  • IF: Add conditional logic (coming soon)
  • IFISEMPTY: Handle empty values (coming soon)
  • TRIM: Remove extra spaces
  • CHAR: Insert special characters (line breaks, tabs)
  • LEN: Check text length