In this tutorial, you will learn how to split a column in Google Sheets.
You can easily split a column using native Google Sheets tools with a click away!
Once ready, we’ll get started by utilizing real-world examples to show you how to split a column in Google Sheets.
Split a Column
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There are several ways to split a column in Google Sheets.
The first method is by using the Split function in Google Sheets to split the texts inside a column into several different columns.
The second method is to split a merged cell into two different columns by unmerging them.
Method 1
The first method is to use the ‘Split text to columns’ function in Google Sheets.
First, you need a set of data to split. As you can see, the names are joint without distinguishing the last and first names.
To split the names into first and last names, select the cells, press ‘Data’, then select ‘Split text to columns’.
Once you selected ‘Split text to columns’ a box will appear next to the select cells, you can then choose your separator. In this example, we will separate it by ‘Space’.
Another example is to split the text or strings using ‘Comma’.
Follow the same steps as above but instead of choosing ‘Space’ as the separator, we will choose ‘Comma’.
Once done, your strings in the column will be split into several columns.
Method 2
The other method to split a column is to unmerge a merged column.
Here is a merged column for example. We would like to split it into two columns.
To do so, simply select the merged cell, press the ‘Merge cells’ icon, then select ‘Unmerge’.
Once you are done, your cells are no longer merged together.
Summary
That’s all there is to it. You are welcome to copy the example spreadsheet below to see how it is done. The most crucial lesson is to enjoy yourself while doing it.
Example Spreadsheet: Make a copy of the example spreadsheet
In this tutorial, I covered how to split a column in Google Sheets. Want more? Check out all the Google Sheets Tutorials.