diff --git a/work_helpers/excel2changelog.py b/work_helpers/excel2changelog.py
index cb66526..5b267fe 100644
--- a/work_helpers/excel2changelog.py
+++ b/work_helpers/excel2changelog.py
@@ -14,9 +14,11 @@ col_start = "A"
 row_start = 8
 
 
-def text_to_changelog(raw_text, sheet, start_column, start_row):
+def text_to_changelog(raw_text, sheet, start_column, start_row, compact=False):
     cells = [line.split("\t") for line in raw_text.splitlines()]
 
+    xls_sep = "!" if compact else "\t"
+
     output = []
     current_row = 1
     columns_start_index = EXCEL_COLUMNS.index(start_column)
@@ -24,13 +26,14 @@ def text_to_changelog(raw_text, sheet, start_column, start_row):
 
     for row, line in enumerate(cells, start=start_row):
         if row != current_row:
-            output.append("")
+            if not compact:
+                output.append("")
             current_row = row
         for column, cell in zip(columns_used, line):
             cell = cell.strip()
             if not cell:
                 continue
-            output.append(f"{sheet}\t{column}{row}\t{cell}")
+            output.append(f"{sheet}{xls_sep}{column}{row}\t{cell}")
 
     iterator = iter(output)
     prev = next(iterator)
@@ -42,9 +45,9 @@ def text_to_changelog(raw_text, sheet, start_column, start_row):
         prev = current
 
 
-def clipboard_to_changelog(sheet, start_column, start_row):
+def clipboard_to_changelog(sheet, start_column, start_row, compact=False):
     xls = pyperclip.paste()
-    result = list(text_to_changelog(xls, sheet, start_column, start_row))
+    result = list(text_to_changelog(xls, sheet, start_column, start_row, compact))
     line_count = len(result)
     if line_count == 1:
         print(f"Copied one line to the clipboard")
@@ -63,7 +66,8 @@ def clipboard_to_changelog(sheet, start_column, start_row):
 @click.command()
 @click.option("-s", "--sheet", prompt=True, required=True, default="Input_Data_*")
 @click.option("-w", "--well", prompt=True, required=True, default="A1")
-def cli(sheet, well):
+@click.option("-c", "--compact", is_flag=True)
+def cli(sheet, well, compact):
     regex_well = r"(?P<column>[A-Z]{1,2})(?P<row>\d+)"
     match = re.match(regex_well, well.upper())
     if match is None:
@@ -71,4 +75,4 @@ def cli(sheet, well):
     regex_result = match.groupdict()
     start_column = regex_result["column"]
     start_row = int(regex_result["row"])
-    clipboard_to_changelog(sheet, start_column, start_row)
+    clipboard_to_changelog(sheet, start_column, start_row, compact)