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How to Split Text into Columns in Google Sheets

< 1 minute read

Sheets Green

Have you ever had a list of names in a spreadsheet and wanted to separate them by first and last names into two columns? Instead of wasting time with tedious copying and pasting, there’s a quick, easy way to separate text into columns in Google Sheets.

  • In Google Sheets, paste your data into a column. You’ll see a little clipboard icon appear in the lower-right hand corner of your data. Click on that, and you will see the option to split the data into columns. Alternatively, if your data is already in your spreadsheet, head up to the Data menu > Split text to columns. 

split text columns screenshot

  • Depending on the source of the data, you may have commas, periods, or spaces separating the information. In our example, we’re set to comma, meaning that the information after a comma is going to be moved to a new column. 

Split text screenshot

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