Managing data in Excel worksheets can be incredibly helpful for analyzing and organizing sets of information. Whether you are working with financial data, customer contact information, or anything else, organizing your data into columns can make it easier to view, edit, and search through. Splitting cells into columns in Excel is an essential skill for efficiently organizing and working with data. This blog post will provide an overview of the process and a step-by-step guide for how to split cells into columns in Excel. You will learn how to split data manually, by using the Text to Columns feature, and by using formulas. With this knowledge, you will be able to quickly and easily manipulate data into the desired format. Read on to learn more about how to split cells into columns in Excel.
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How to split cells into columns in Excel using the Text to Columns Wizard
Here are the steps you can take to divide cells into columns using Excel’s Text to Columns Wizard:
1. Select your cells
Click on the cell you want to split. Press “Shift” and drag your cursor down to select multiple cells if you want to split a series. You could click the first cell, click into the “Name” box, type the last cell in the range, and press enter to quickly select a large number of cells without scrolling.
2. Navigate to the Convert Text to Columns Wizard
Locate the “Data” tab and browse the “Data Tools” section. To launch the Convert Text to Columns Wizard, click “Text to Columns.” This program automatically creates distinct columns out of your cells as you specify.
3. Choose the “Delimited” option
Excel asks you to specify your data type in the pop-up window for the Convert Text to Columns Wizards. For this route, select “Delimited”. Excel usually chooses “Delimited” by default, but it’s a good idea to double-check to make sure your column is formatted correctly. You can then click “Next”.
4. Adjust your delimiter settings
The pop-up window’s second step asks for data about you. You can choose whichever element divides your two categories in the “Delimiters” box. For instance, choose “Commas” if your original cell uses a comma to separate first and last names. This instructs Excel to divide your data into separate columns on either side of the comma. Select any delimiters that apply to your cells. Choose “Treat consecutive delimiters as one” if there are two delimiters in a row, such as semicolons with spaces between them, to make sure Excel only creates the columns you require.
5. Input formatting information
You can instruct Excel on how to format your data and where to put it on your spreadsheet in step three. You can leave the format set to “General” if your cell contains only plain text. You could also request that Excel list your items as dates. Next, enter the cell where you want the columns to start in the “Destination” text box. Select the following column to keep your current cell in Excel. Please enter the name of the first cell in your data set if you want it to replace your data set.
6. Finish and review your new columns
Press “Finish” and check the columns for any errors. If your columns meet your expectations, the process is complete. Since columns are static, it is crucial to repeat the Convert Text to Columns process if the data in your original cells changes so that your columns reflect the updated data.
Why might you split cells into columns in Excel?
There are numerous circumstances where splitting one cell into multiple columns is desirable. If you want to re-sort information using more specific criteria, splitting cells can be useful. For instance, if you have a list of addresses, you could separate the street names and numbers into two different columns and alphabetize the addresses according to the street names. Splitting cells into columns could also be useful for:
How to split cells into columns in Excel using Flash Fill
The Flash Fill feature finds patterns in your data sets and repeats actions in line with those patterns. Heres how to use it to split cells into columns:
1. Input the first piece of data
Place your cursor in the first cell of the first row in the new column after navigating there. Enter the first bit of information from your initial data set. For instance, you might type “Margaret” if you are working with a list of first and last names and the first column of your original data set contains the name “Margaret Jenson”.
2. Drag the cell down in the bottom right corner
Excel surrounds your new cell with a green box that has a small green square in the bottom right corner. Excel fills in the remaining cells with the same value if you double-click on this square and move your cursor downward. If you followed the previous example, “Margaret” would appear in each cell in your column.
3. Apply the Flash Fill feature
Your freshly filled cells may have a box offering “Autofill Features” in the bottom right corner. Click the arrow to open the drop-down menu. Select the “Flash Fill” option. As a result, Excel ought to automatically fill each cell with the appropriate row’s worth of data. In the example, every cell other than the first would have “Margaret” replaced with each party’s first name.
How to split cells into columns in Excel using Text Functions
The steps you can take to use formulas to make your cells into columns are listed below:
1. Extract your first category of data into a column
Navigate to a new column. To choose your first category, use the following formula: =LEFT(FIRST CELL NAME,SEARCH(“DELIMITER”,FIRST CELL NAME)-1) This formula instructs Excel to locate a delimiter within your cell, such as a space or comma, and extract anything to its left. You could ask Excel to create a column listing only the cities, for instance, if you were splitting cities and states into two columns. Your formula might look like this:
=LEFT(A2,SEARCH(“,”,A2)-1)
2. Extract your second category of data into a column
Go to the new column that is to the right of the newly created column. Enter “=RIGHT(FIRST CELL NAME,LEN(FIRST CELL NAME)-SEARCH(“DELIMITER”,FIRST CELL NAME”)” as the formula’s first argument. To determine where the delimiter is and to determine how many characters are left, the “LEN” function measures the length of the cell. If you want to extract the state names using the cities and states example from earlier, your formula might resemble this:
=RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-SEARCH(” “,A2))
Here, the delimiter is a space rather than a comma. This makes sure that the state, not the space after the comma, is at the beginning of your column of states.
3. Repeat these steps for each row
Input the formula into each cell in your column. It might be easier to simply change the cell names to reflect your original data set after copying a template of the formula into each row. Consider scanning your spreadsheet for any errors before you finish.
How to split a merged cell into multiple cells
To make a document easier to read or understand, you might merge a cell, but later on in the process you might need to sort the data separately. If so, you might want to split the merged cell. There are numerous ways to separate the content of a merged cell. The following is a list of tools that let you do this:
How to split multiple lines in a cell into multiple rows
You can divide cells with multiple lines of text into separate rows by following the steps listed below:
1. Select the cell you want to split
To select a cell, place your cursor inside of it and click. You can choose any cell in the series to divide a column of cells with multiple lines into rows. If your cells have a consistent format, Excel can spot patterns and your commands should be applied to the entire column.
2. Open the Power Query feature
Open the “Data” tab in your toolbar. An icon with the label “From Table/Range” may be present in the “Get & Transform Data Section.” To convert your data into a table and activate Excel’s Power Query feature, click this button.
3. Select “Split Columns”
Select the cell or column you need to split. There may be a “Split Columns” icon in the home tab of your toolbar. Click the drop-down menu and choose “By Delimiter”.
4. Adjust your settings
Excel provides a pop-up window where you can enter data and choose the appropriate options for your data. Typically, Excel detects the delimiter and patterns in your data set automatically. You might see a formula indicating your delimiter. Change the default choice under “Split Into” from “Columns” to “Rows” by going to the “Advanced Options” section. To create a table with individual rows of cells, click “OK.”
FAQ
How do I split a cell into multiple columns in Excel?
- Choose the cell or column in which the text you want to split is located.
- Select Data > Text to Columns.
- Delimited > Next in the Convert Text to Columns Wizard
- Select the Delimiters for your data. …
- Select Next.
- Choose the worksheet’s Destination, which is where you want the split data to appear.
How do you split a cell into columns?
- Choose the cell or column in which the text you want to split is located.
- Select Data > Text to Columns.
- Delimited > Next in the Convert Text to Columns Wizard
- Select the Delimiters for your data. …
- Select Next.
- Choose the worksheet’s Destination, which is where you want the split data to appear.
How do I split a cell into 4 columns in Excel?
- Choose the cell or column in which the text you want to split is located.
- Select Data > Text to Columns.
- Delimited > Next in the Convert Text to Columns Wizard
- Select the Delimiters for your data. …
- Select Next.
- Choose the worksheet’s Destination, which is where you want the split data to appear.
How do I split a cell vertically in Excel?
- Choose the cell or column in which the text you want to split is located.
- Select Data > Text to Columns.
- Delimited > Next in the Convert Text to Columns Wizard
- Select the Delimiters for your data. …
- Select Next.
- Choose the worksheet’s Destination, which is where you want the split data to appear.
