Learn how to use Excel's powerful Text to Columns feature to split data from a single column into multiple columns, making your data easier to manage and analyze.
Click the column header or highlight the specific cells containing the text you want to split across multiple columns.
Navigate to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon. In the Data Tools group, click on Text to Columns.
The wizard will open. Choose Delimited if your data is separated by a character like a comma or space. Choose Fixed width if your data is aligned in columns. Click Next.
If you chose Delimited, select the character that separates your data (e.g., Comma, Space). If you chose Fixed width, click to create break lines. The preview window shows how your data will be split. Click Next.
In the final step, you can select each new column in the preview and set its data format (e.g., General, Text, Date). You can also change the Destination cell to avoid overwriting your original data. Click Finish.
Helpful Tips for Text to Columns
Always use the data preview window in the wizard to ensure your data is being split correctly before you finalize the conversion.
Change the Destination cell in the final step of the wizard to a blank area on your worksheet. This keeps your original column intact.
Check the 'Treat consecutive delimiters as one' box if your data has extra spaces or multiple separators between fields to avoid creating empty columns.
Use the 'Column data format' option to correctly format columns with leading zeros (as Text) or specific date formats directly from the wizard.
Explore other Excel guides and shortcuts