Merge CSV & Excel files by shared columns
e.g. combine customers.csv with orders.csv on a shared email column.
Want to stack rows from multiple files instead? Try Append.
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How to merge CSV & Excel files
- 1
Add your files
Drop in two CSV, Excel (.xlsx, .xls), or TSV files, or pick them from your device. Each file is read in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
- 2
Pick the column to match on
Choose the shared column that links rows across both files — an order ID, email, or SKU. Need a composite key? Select several columns and they are matched together.
- 3
Choose how to combine, then download
Pick a join type (keep only matches, or keep every row from one or both files), preview the result, and download it as CSV or Excel.
Merging files by a shared column
Merging — also called a join or lookup — combines two tables into one by matching rows on a column they share. If one file lists customers by email and another lists their orders by the same email, merging produces a single table with customer details and order details side by side. It is the no-formula equivalent of Excel’s VLOOKUP / INDEX-MATCH and of “Merge Queries” in Power Query and Power BI.
Pick the shared column — the key — such as an order ID, email, SKU, or employee number. When one column isn’t unique on its own, choose several to form a composite key (for example region + date), and Tabularly matches on the combination. The files don’t need the same column order, and you can mix formats — merge a CSV exported from one system with an Excel workbook from another.
You control which rows survive with the join type: inner keeps only rows that match in both files; left keeps every row from the first file (filling blanks where the second has no match); right keeps every row from the second; and full outer keeps everything from both. This makes merging useful well beyond lookups — reconciling two exports, enriching a list from a reference table, or finding which records exist in one file but not the other.
Everything runs in your browser, so your data never leaves your device — a real difference from tools that upload your spreadsheet to a server. The free tier merges two files up to about 10 MB each; Pro adds many-file merges and larger limits.
Frequently asked questions
What does it mean to merge files by a column? +
Merging combines rows from two tables that share a common value in a chosen column — the “key”. For each row in one file, Tabularly finds the matching row in the other (by that key) and joins their columns into a single wider row. It is the spreadsheet equivalent of a database join or a lookup.
Is this the same as VLOOKUP or Power Query "Merge Queries"? +
Yes — it solves the same problem as Excel VLOOKUP / INDEX-MATCH and Power Query / Power BI "Merge Queries", but without formulas or setup. You pick the key column and the join type, and get the combined table directly.
Which join types are supported? +
Inner (keep only rows that match in both files), left (keep every row from the first file), right (keep every row from the second), and full outer (keep everything from both). Unmatched cells are left blank.
Can I merge more than two files at once? +
The free tool merges two files. Merging several files in one pass (a chained join across many tables) is a Pro feature, alongside larger file-size limits.
What file formats and sizes are supported? +
CSV, TSV, and Excel (.xlsx and .xls) — you can mix formats, e.g. merge a CSV with an Excel file. The free tier handles files up to about 10 MB each; Pro raises the limit substantially.
Do my files get uploaded to a server? +
No. Every step runs as JavaScript in your browser, so your file contents never leave your device. You can confirm it in your browser DevTools: open the network tab, run a merge, and you will see no upload.