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How to Merge Two Datasets Using Easy and Efficient Ways?

  Mark Regan
Mark Regan
Published: July 30th, 2025 • 7 Min Read

Do you also have large datasets and want to learn how to merge two datasets with no data loss or manipulation? If yes, then this is the right page to acknowledge your query and provide you with the easiest yet helpful ways to combine two datasets.

So, whether you want to analyse the data or make a report, merging the dataset is the primary and one of the most crucial steps. Thus, it is not just copying and pasting the fields but actually combining the information extracted from different sources to get a clear picture and a better understanding of the whole dataset.

Moreover, users extract the dataset in different formats. However, the most commonly used is CSV (Comma-Separated Value) since it is simple to read, compatible with importing in different tools, easily editable, lightweight to store on a device, and the best choice to manage tabular form of data.

Hence, without any further ado, let’s dive into the main solution and explore the multiple solutions of how to merge two datasets with accuracy.

Table of Content Hide
  1. Reasons to Merge Two Datasets
  2. How to Merge Two Datasets Using Excel?
  3. How to Combine Two Datasets in Python?
  4. Boundaries of the Manual Method
  5. Professional Solution to Merge Two Datasets
  6. Wrap Up

Why Are Users Searching for How to Merge Two Datasets?

There are multiple reasons that led an individual to seek a way to combine two datasets, since it plays a vital role in fields like business intelligence, machine learning, data analysis, research, and more. Thus, the most prominent benefits of merging datasets are as follows:

  • The output of merging two datasets gives the user a unified view of different sources of information in one file. This saves time and makes the analysis process easier.
  • Not every dataset is clean or processed, and that is why the users want to merge two datasets. This cleans the data and prepares it to transparently share the insights.
  • Combining datasets leads to summarizing the data collected over time, which is generally found broken into different fields.
  • The solution of how to merge two datasets also assists the user in easily doing the A/B testing and comparing the information to make a data-driven decision.
  • Last but not least, mass users also want to learn the process to combine two datasets, as it is a demanding skill that lots of recruiters search for.

Also Read: What is a Dataset in Machine Learning?

How to Merge Two Datasets Using Excel?

There are multiple conventional ways to combine two datasets using Excel. Thus, to learn how to do this easily, follow the methods shared in the sections below.

Method 1: Concatenate Two Datasets By Rows

The first way to merge datasets is on the basis of rows. Therefore, to combine two datasets in Excel from their rows, follow these steps:

  1. First of all, open both datasets in Excel.
  2. Now, make sure that both the CSV dataset files have the same column headers and respective order.
  3. Next, go to the 2nd dataset file and select the complete data except the header row.
  4. Once selected, copy it and go to the 1st dataset file.
  5. Then, scroll to the bottom of that file and paste the copied data below the last row only.
  6. Further, click on the Data tab from the ribbon and search for the Remove Duplicates option.
  7. After this, select the duplicate data you want to remove. This will clean and process the file to be used professionally.
  8. Finally, save the file with a new name, and you are done with the task to combine two datasets.

Note: This solution will give appropriate results only if both datasets have the same column structure.

Method 2: Merge Two Datasets By Columns

Another solution of how to merge two datasets in Excel by columns is mentioned below. This works best when the dataset has different columns but related data. Have a quick read of the steps to do this and follow them precisely.

  1. Begin by opening the two datasets you want to merge in Excel.
  2. Now, simply find the common columns in both datasets.
  3. Next, create a new column in 1st dataset from where you want to merge data.
  4. Once done, apply VLOOKUP to fetch the data from 2nd dataset.
  5. Thus, give the formula =VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!A:B, 2, FALSE).
  6. Further, drag the formula to the bottom to apply it to the complete dataset.
  7. When verified, simply copy the VLOOKUP formula and then use Paste Special> Values.
  8. This will fix the output to a processed dataset.
  9. Finally, save the file on your system to successfully merge two datasets in Excel.

Note: Here, A2 is the cell with the key in the 1st dataset, Sheet2!A:B means the range in the 2nd dataset where the lookup takes place, 2 is the column number of the data to return from the 2nd dataset, and FALSE stands for the necessity of an exact match.

Alert: In this method, there must be no extra spaces, typos, or mismatched cases, as this may lead to the wrong output.

How to Combine Two Datasets in Python?

The most prominent solution of how to merge two datasets is by using the pandas library in Python. The quick steps are as follows:

  1. First of all, open the command prompt on your system.
  2. In the given field, type pip install pandas.
  3. Now, run the Python code editor and create a new file named “merge_datasets.py”.
  4. Next, paste the code,
    import pandas as pd  # pandas helps work with CSVs
    # Load both datasets
    df1 = pd.read_csv("dataset1.csv")
    df2 = pd.read_csv("dataset2.csv")
    # Merge by rows (same columns)
    merged = pd.concat([df1, df2], ignore_index=True)
    merged.to_csv("merged_dataset.csv", index=False)
    # OR - Merge by columns (using a shared ID)
    # merged = pd.merge(df1, df2, on="ID", how="inner")
    # merged.to_csv("merged_dataset.csv", index=False)
  5. Further, save the file as merge_datasets.py.
  6. After this, in CMD, give the path to your merged dataset.
    Example cd C:\Users\YourName\Documents\filename
  7. Once done, open the output by running the script Python merge_datasets.py.

Note: To execute this process to merge two datasets in Python, the user must have Python, a code editor, access to two datasets, and the Pandas library installed.

Why the Manual Way to Merge Two Datasets is Unreliable?

  • The user must have great coding knowledge to follow these steps.
  • The risk of data loss or alteration is very high in these conventional solutions.
  • These solutions to combine two datasets are prone to error.

Professional Solution to Merge Two Datasets

The conventional methods of how to combine two datasets have multiple limitations, and that is why experts always rely on a professional solution such as BitRecover CSV Dataset Merger Tool. It is easy to use, supports bulk action, and gives appropriate output with minimum resource consumption. The best thing about this solution is that it is tried, tested, and highly used by industry professionals such as data analysts, machine learning engineers, business owners, and more.

Conclusion

In this blog post, we shared multiple solutions of how to combine two datasets using both manual and professional methods. Thus, after learning about them, it is very clear that the automated utility is far better than the conventional solutions. Therefore, the pro tool ensures quality output within a few steps, whereas the manual ways are complex and not so reliable for sharing important data.

Read Next: Quick Guide to Create Datasets Using JSON


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