How to split text into columns in Excel
Select the column, go to Data > Text to Columns, choose Delimited, pick comma/space/other, then finish. Insert empty columns to the right first so you do not overwrite neighbors.
In Excel 365, =TEXTSPLIT(A2,",") spills splits into adjacent cells without the wizard.
Classic wizard works in Windows and Mac Excel. TEXTSPLIT needs Microsoft 365 / recent Excel for the web.
Split with Text to Columns
- Insert enough blank columns to the right of your data.
- Select the cells to split (one column).
- Open Data > Text to Columns.
- Choose Delimited > Next, tick the delimiter > Next.
- Set column formats if needed (Text is safest for ZIP codes) > Finish.
Fixed width
Use Fixed width when data lines up by character position instead of commas.
Flash Fill
Type the desired first result in the next column, start the second, and accept Flash Fill (or Data > Flash Fill).
TEXTSPLIT
=TEXTSPLIT(A2,",") splits on commas in Excel 365.
Frequently asked questions
Overwrote next column?
Undo and insert blank columns before running the wizard again.
Dates look wrong?
Set the column format to Text in the wizard, or fix with date functions carefully.
First and last names?
Split on space, or use TEXTBEFORE/TEXTAFTER in Excel 365.