Merged cells in Google Sheets can seem like a great way to make your spreadsheet look neat and organized. But when it comes to actually working with your data—sorting, filtering, scripting, or using formulas—merged cells often cause more trouble than they’re worth. If you’ve ever had an error or weird behavior in your sheet and couldn’t figure out why, merged cells might be the hidden culprit.
In this article, we’ll break down why you should avoid merged cells in most cases, show a real-life example of how they can disrupt your workflow, and teach you simple ways to work around them—without losing your formatting goals.
Why Merged Cells Cause Problems in Google Sheets
When cells are merged, Google Sheets treats them as one single cell—even though they might span across columns or rows. This creates all sorts of complications, such as:
- Inability to sort or filter properly
- Broken formulas referencing merged ranges
- Script errors in Apps Script when looping through data
To better understand the issue, let’s look at an example.
Real-Life Example: Class Timetable
Imagine you’re creating a class timetable, and you want to merge cells to group periods under each weekday:
| Monday | 9:00 – 10:00 | Math |
|---|---|---|
| 10:00 – 11:00 | English | |
| 11:00 – 12:00 | Science |
This looks great visually, but if you try to filter by subject or sort by time, the merged cell in column A throws everything off. That merged “Monday” cell breaks the alignment.
Step-by-Step: How to Avoid Merged Cells and Still Keep It Organized
1. Repeat Labels Instead of Merging
Instead of merging cells, repeat the day for each time slot. It’s cleaner for data handling:
| Day | Time | Subject |
|---|---|---|
| Monday | 9:00 – 10:00 | Math |
| Monday | 10:00 – 11:00 | English |
| Monday | 11:00 – 12:00 | Science |
2. Use Conditional Formatting for Visual Grouping
Apply colors to visually group rows by day instead of merging cells.
- Select the “Day” column.
- Click Format > Conditional Formatting.
- Choose “Custom formula is” and enter:
=A2="Monday" - Apply a background color.
3. Use Apps Script to Handle Grouped Data
If you must deal with merged cells (for example, in legacy files), here’s a script to read merged cells correctly:
function readMergedCells() {
const sheet = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet().getActiveSheet();
const range = sheet.getDataRange();
const mergedRanges = range.getMergedRanges();
mergedRanges.forEach(r => {
const value = r.getCell(1, 1).getValue();
Logger.log(`Merged range ${r.getA1Notation()} has value: ${value}`);
});
}
This helps identify merged areas and their values, especially when debugging.
Key Benefits of Avoiding Merged Cells
- Reliable filtering and sorting
- Clean data exports (CSV/Excel)
- Smoother scripting with Google Apps Script
Pro Tips
- Use Center Across Selection: In Excel this is a cleaner alternative, but in Google Sheets, simulate it by centering text and hiding repeated values visually.
- Use helper columns: When grouping data, add a separate column to use for filters or formulas instead of merging headers.
- Avoid using merged cells in header rows or key data columns—they often cause broken references in formulas like
VLOOKUPorINDEX/MATCH.
Cheat Sheet: Merged Cell Alternatives
| What You Want | What to Do Instead |
|---|---|
| Group rows under a single label (like a day) | Repeat the label in each row |
| Highlight blocks of related data | Use conditional formatting or colored borders |
| Align text across multiple cells | Use center alignment, not merging |
Merged cells might seem harmless, but they can seriously limit what you can do with your spreadsheet—especially when you’re sorting, analyzing, or scripting. With a few formatting tricks and cleaner data structures, you can achieve the same visual impact without sacrificing usability. Your future self (and your scripts) will thank you!