When to merge Excel files
Typical cases:
- Monthly reports from each team combined for management
- Exports from several systems in one workbook for side-by-side review
- Merge first, then dedup, SQL export, or format
ComTools Excel Merge (Tools/Excel/Merge) combines multiple .xlsx files in selection order: every worksheet from every file is kept in a single downloadable .xlsx.
How merge works
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Formats | .xlsx, .xlsm, .xltx, .xltm |
| Not supported | .csv, legacy .xls (save as xlsx first) |
| Mode | Merge by sheet—not stacking rows into one sheet |
| File order | First selected file first; reorder with ↑↓ in the list |
| Sheet names | Duplicates get (2) suffix; default Sheet1 names are renumbered |
Example: file A has Sales and Stock, file B has Summary → one workbook with three sheets (order follows A then B).
Steps
- Open Excel Merge.
- Select files (multiple at once, or add more later).
- Confirm order; use ↑↓ to reorder.
- Remove unwanted files with ×.
- Click Start merge and wait for completion.
- Download the merged
.xlsx.
Common scenarios
| Scenario | Tip |
|---|---|
| Department rollups | Order files by dept; use meaningful sheet names |
| Row-level union on one sheet | This tool keeps separate sheets—align headers and paste, or use per-file INSERT SQL |
| Merge → dedup → database | Dedup per sheet or main sheet only |
| Data from web tables | HTML to Excel first, then merge |
Not the same as “append rows”
Worksheets are not stacked into a single sheet. To combine rows with the same schema:
- Merge for one workbook to manage, or
- Copy rows in Excel, or
- INSERT SQL per file and union in the database
To split sheets out of one file, use Excel Split.
Notes
- Use clear sheet names before merge—many
Sheet1tabs are hard to read even after auto-rename. .xlsmuploads work; macros are not guaranteed in the output.- Processing is server-side; mind data sensitivity.
- Large files take longer—wait for the status message.
Suggested workflow
Merge files → Dedup sheets → Excel to SQL → Import
Related:
- Excel Split — one file → one xlsx per sheet (ZIP)
- Remove duplicates
- Excel to SQL
- Excel Compare
FAQ
Can I merge CSV?
Convert with CSV to Excel first.
Only one sheet after merge?
Check that source files actually contain multiple sheets.
Merge only the first sheet per file?
Current version merges all sheets—delete unwanted sheets in source files first.
Formatting preserved?
Sheet copy keeps most cell styles and widths; verify charts and cross-workbook formulas after merge.