How do I split on more than one delimiter at once?

In the Text to Columns wizard, tick every delimiter that applies in step 2 — for example Comma and Space together. To collapse repeated separators, also tick Treat consecutive delimiters as one.

When should I use Fixed width instead of Delimited?

Use Fixed width when no character separates the fields but each one always occupies the same number of characters — like a legacy report where columns line up by position. Click the ruler in the wizard to add or drag break lines.

How do I undo a Text to Columns split that went wrong?

Press Ctrl+Z immediately and the original column comes back intact. If you have already saved and closed, there is no automatic merge-back — rejoin the pieces with =TEXTJOIN, covered in our CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN guide.

How do I split full names into first and last name?

If names are First Last, split on the Space delimiter. For a Last, First format, split on the Comma instead. When names have middle names or suffixes, Flash Fill (Ctrl+E) handles the irregular cases better than a fixed delimiter.

How to Split Text into Columns in Excel

Last updated June 2026

Quick answer

To split text into columns in Excel, select the column, open the Data tab, and click Text to Columns. Choose Delimited, click Next, tick the delimiter that separates your values — comma, semicolon, space, or tab — set each column's data format, then click Finish. Excel splits the cell into separate columns at every delimiter it finds.

How do you split a column with Text to Columns?

Insert blank columns first
Text to Columns writes results into the cells to the right of your data and overwrites whatever is there. Before you start, right-click the column header next to your data and choose Insert two or three times to give the split room to land.
Select the column to split
Click the column header (or select the specific range) holding the combined text. You can only run Text to Columns on one column at a time.
Open the wizard
On the Data tab, in the Data Tools group, click Text to Columns. The Convert Text to Columns Wizard opens at step 1 of 3.
Choose Delimited
Pick Delimited when a character separates your values (a comma, tab, or space). Pick Fixed width only when every field is the same number of characters. Click Next.
Pick the delimiter
Tick the box for your separator — Comma, Semicolon, Space, or Tab. For anything else, tick Other and type the character. Watch the Data preview pane redraw the split lines, then click Next.
Set each column's data format
Click a column in the preview, then choose its format: General, Text, or Date. Set codes like ZIP codes or account numbers to Text so Excel does not strip leading zeros, and set real dates to the matching Date order (MDY, DMY, YMD).
Finish the split
Leave Destination at the active cell (or point it at an empty area), then click Finish. Excel splits the column at every delimiter into the blank columns you inserted.

Method	Live-updating?	Availability	Best for
Text to Columns	No — one-time, static result	Every Excel version	A one-off cleanup of a pasted or imported column
`=TEXTSPLIT(A2,",")`	Yes — recalculates as `A2` changes	Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, and Excel for the web	A formula that re-splits whenever the source updates
Flash Fill (`Ctrl+E`)	No — fills once from your example	Excel 2013 and later	Pulling one part out when the pattern is irregular

Three ways to split a cell in current Excel — pick by whether you need the result to update when the source changes.

Pasted a bank export where each row is Date,Merchant,Amount jammed into one cell? Split it on the comma with the steps above, then drop the three clean columns straight into the Date, Merchant, and Amount columns of our expense tracker.

When should I use TEXTSPLIT instead?

Use TEXTSPLIT when the source data keeps changing and you want the split to follow it. Unlike Text to Columns, it is a live formula — edit A2 and the spilled columns update instantly. It takes the text first and the delimiter second, and spills the pieces across columns automatically.

=TEXTSPLIT(A2,",")

Splits A2 at every comma and spills the result across columns. To split on more than one delimiter, pass an array: =TEXTSPLIT(A2,{",";" "}) breaks on both a comma and a space.

When is Flash Fill the faster choice?

Reach for Flash Fill when the pattern is too irregular for a single delimiter — pulling just the city out of a messy address, or a first name out of a Last, First field. Type the result you want in the cell beside the first row, start typing the second, and press Ctrl+E. Excel infers the pattern and fills the rest of the column.

Frequently asked questions

How do I split on more than one delimiter at once?: In the Text to Columns wizard, tick every delimiter that applies in step 2 — for example Comma and Space together. To collapse repeated separators, also tick Treat consecutive delimiters as one.
When should I use Fixed width instead of Delimited?: Use Fixed width when no character separates the fields but each one always occupies the same number of characters — like a legacy report where columns line up by position. Click the ruler in the wizard to add or drag break lines.
How do I undo a Text to Columns split that went wrong?: Press Ctrl+Z immediately and the original column comes back intact. If you have already saved and closed, there is no automatic merge-back — rejoin the pieces with =TEXTJOIN, covered in our CONCATENATE and TEXTJOIN guide.
How do I split full names into first and last name?: If names are First Last, split on the Space delimiter. For a Last, First format, split on the Comma instead. When names have middle names or suffixes, Flash Fill (Ctrl+E) handles the irregular cases better than a fixed delimiter.