How To Combine / Merge Multiple CSV Or Excel Files (For Mac, PC & Linux)

4 Methods for Combing Spreadsheets

Here in the “we work on computers” industry, we’re always dealing with CSVs – combining, cleaning, analyzing, crying in front of – you name it.

So, allow me make it just one micron less painful for you – by show you  how to combine CSVs together in a matter of seconds .

How do i combine multiple files into one file?

Relax! I’m getting there..

Just kidding – i just needed to stuff that  keyword  phrase to pick up a couple more terms for  SEO  purposes.

But actually there’s a few ways to do it:

• Merge CSVs at the command line  (how we are going to do it today)

• Merge CSVs with a  free csv merge tool  I made for ya

• Merge CSVs with python

• Merge CSVs by smashing them together with hulk hands (not a real method)

In this article I will show you  how to quickly & easily combine and merge multiple CSV files into one CSV file for free on a mac using the terminal  — but it also works on PCs.

But for all you lazy people, here’s a video:

If you run into any problems – we even created a free tool that you can try.

So follow along, and start combining!

Update: Back in the day I shot a video about how to do this manually on a mac, and it still works. But since then we’ve had a lot of people ask about doing it on a PC.

So we actually just made a tool that combines CSVs for you.

And it’s way faster than the manual method.

And it’s free.

👉 Here’s a link to the tool for all you lazies who don’t wanna read or watch a video:  https://serp.co/tools/combine-csv-files/

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If this was helpful, subscribe to the yt channel. i’m going to be making a lot more videos that will help you be more productive, faster on a computer, and make your life suck less 🙂

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Table of Contents

• How do i combine multiple files into one file?

• Step 1 – Create a new folder

• Step 2 – Open Terminal (aka “the shell” or “the command line”)

  • Applications > Utilities > Terminal

• Step 3 – Print Working Directory

• Step 4 – Choose the folder you created

• Step 5 – Merge the files

• Step 6 – Check your folder

• Final thoughts

If you have multiple CSV or Excel files that you need combined, follow this simple process to get them combined in a flash, using the built in “terminal” on your Mac.

👉 Bookmark this FREE SOP (checklist) that you can run anytime you need to combine more CSVs:  devin.to/csv-sop

Step 1 – Create a new folder

Create a new folder on your Desktop & put all of your CSV files into the folder.

I will call mine “combine”.

It will look like this:

Caution : Everything in this folder will be combined.

Step 2 – Open Terminal (aka “the shell” or “the command line”)

The program “Terminal” is located in your “ Applications ” folder under “Utilities”

Applications > Utilities > Terminal

Open Terminal.

It will look like this:

Step 3 – Print Working Directory

This is a fancy name. Don’t worry about it, just follow the steps.

1. Type:  pwd

2. Hit the  return  key

`pwd`

It will look like this:

pwd  means “print working directory”.

It’s showing you what “directory” (aka folder) you are currently at on your operating system. Don’t worry about it. Just keep following along.

Step 4 – Choose the folder you created

Set your “directory” to the folder you created that has your CSV files in it.

1. type:  cd /Users/devin/Desktop/combine  <== obviously replace “devin” with your name… unless your name is devin.

2. hit the  return  key

Note : you will need to change your file path so it matches your username & folder name

Step 5 – Merge the files

Now you are ready to merge your files.

1. type:  cat *.csv >combined.csv

2. hit the  return  key

It will look like this:

Step 6 – Check your folder

If you followed along correctly, you are done!

Inside your folder there will be a file called “combined.csv”, which contains all of your csv files combined together.

Note: you might have to delete the duplicate header columns though.

Just apply a filter to your entire sheet, and sort A-Z on column A and you should see them.

It will look like this:

Final thoughts

👉 Bookmark this FREE SOP (checklist) that you can run anytime you need to combine more CSVs:  devin.to/csv-sop

If this was helpful for you –  subscribe to the yt channel

I’m going to be making a lot more videos with tips that will help save you time, increase your productivity, and basically make you feel like a hacker… or Neo from the matrix. which is always a good thing.

Cheers & stay funky, my friends. 🦩