Splitting Text to Columns

In this chapter we will cover the topic Splitting Text to Columns. You will learn how to use the tool to split data from one cell into multiple columns based on a chosen delimiter, such as a comma, space, or custom symbol. This is useful when working with data that contains lists or long strings that need to be structured.

For example, suppose you have the string John Doe, 123 Main St, New York in cell A1. Using the Split Text to Columns tool, you can easily split this string into several columns: first name, address, and city.

• Select the cell or range of cells that contains the text you want to split.
• Go to the Data → Split text to columns menu;
• In the menu that appears, choose a delimiter. By default, Google Sheets will automatically detect the delimiter, but you can choose one manually:
  • Comma — splits the text into columns, using a comma as the delimiter. For example, the string John Doe, 123 Main St, New York will be split into three columns: John Doe, 123 Main St, and New York;
  • Semicolon — splits the text into columns, using a semicolon as the delimiter. For example, the string John Doe; 123 Main St; New York will be split into three columns: John Doe, 123 Main St, and New York;
  • Period — splits the text into columns, using a period as the delimiter. For example, the string John Doe. 123 Main St. New York will be split into three columns: John Doe, 123 Main St, and New York;
  • Space — splits the text into columns, using a space as the delimiter. For example, the string John_Doe 123_Main_St New_York will be split into four columns: John, Doe, 123 Main St, and New York;
  • Custom — allows you to specify a custom symbol as the delimiter. For example, if you want to split the string John Doe|123 Main St|New York using the vertical bar (|), specify it as the delimiter, and the string will be split into four columns: John, Doe, 123 Main St, and New York.