Text to Columns¶
The Text to Columns tool splits text in a single column into multiple columns based on delimiters.
Opening¶
Select the column containing the text data you want to split, then open Data > Text to Columns.
Delimiter Options¶
Choose one or more delimiters to split on:
| Delimiter | Example |
|---|---|
| Comma | apple,banana,cherry |
| Tab | Tab-separated fields |
| Space | John Smith -> John / Smith |
| Semicolon | a;b;c |
| Custom | Any character(s) you specify |
Multiple delimiters can be active simultaneously. For example, enabling both Comma and Space will split on either character.
Options¶
- Treat consecutive delimiters as one -- When enabled, multiple adjacent delimiter characters are treated as a single split point. Useful for space-separated data with variable spacing.
Preview¶
A live preview table shows the first 5 rows of the result as you adjust delimiter settings. This lets you verify the split looks correct before applying.
Applying¶
Click OK to perform the split. The original column's values are replaced with the first segment, and additional columns are inserted to the right for the remaining segments. Existing data in those columns is shifted to make room.