How to Split Cells in Excel: Easy Methods Explained

How to Separate a Cell in Excel- Quick Steps

• Open MS Excel>>Select Data
• Go to the Data tab>>Click Text to Columns.
• Choose Delimited and click Next

Splitting cells in Excel can simplify data management, especially when dealing with combined information in a single column or cell. Whether you’re separating names, dates, or other data points, understanding how to split cells in Excel is essential for better organization and clarity.

This guide will show you how to break up cells in Excel using different methods. By the end, you'll know how to split cells horizontally, divide a cell in Excel for better Management.

What Does Splitting Cells in Excel Mean

Splitting a cell in Excel involves dividing its content into multiple cells or columns. For instance, you can:

• Separate first and last names.
• Break product categories into distinct columns.
• Split addresses into street, city, and zip code.

Excel provides multiple methods to achieve this:

1. Text to Columns for quick splitting based on delimiters.
2. Fixed Width for precise splits at character positions.
3. Formulas for customizable splitting based on patterns.
4. Flash Fill for automated splitting based on user-defined examples.
5. Power Query for advanced and scalable data transformations.

In the below data set, Column A has both Products and categories combined with a space delimiter.

How to Split Cells in Excel Using Text to Columns - 2 Methods

The Text to Columns feature is a simple yet powerful tool for divide cells based on delimiters or fixed widths.

Method 1. Split Using Delimiters

Follow the below steps to separate Cells in Excel without losing data using text to column option:

Step 1: Select the Data Range

Select the entire data set in which you want to break up cells in excel. Here we have selected A1: A11.

Step 2: Go to the Data Tab

Go to “Data” tab, Click “Text to Columns”, to pop up Convert Text to Columns Wizard.

Step 3: Select “Delimited” and Press “Next”

Select Delimited and click Next.

Step 4: Check “Space” and Press “Next”

Check Space as the delimiter to split the names at spaces. Click Next.

Note: You can Choose other functions also such as Comma, Tab etc. to divide the cell in excel.

Step 5: Change Destination and Press Next

Enter your Destination and Press “Finish” .Here we have selected $B$1.

Step 6: Preview the Excel Split Cell

Method 2: Split Using Fixed Width

The Fixed Width option in Excel allows you to split text in a cell at specific character positions. You can use this way to split a single cell into multiple columns. Follow these steps to know how to divide cells in excel into multiple columns:

Step 1: Select the Data Range

Highlight the cells containing the text you want to split.

Step 2: Open the Text to Columns Wizard

• Go to the Data tab in the toolbar.
• Click on Text to Columns.

Step 3: Choose Fixed Width

In the wizard, select the Fixed Width option and click Next.

Step 4: Set Break Lines

Click in the preview window to place break lines where you want the text to split.

Drag the break lines to adjust their position if needed.

Step 5: Select Destination

Choose where the split text should appear. By default, Excel will overwrite the original data unless you select a different destination column.

Step 6: Preview Results

Excel will split the data into separate columns based on your specified widths.

Pro Tip: Always make a backup of your data before using Text to Columns, as it overwrites the original cells by default.

How to Split Cells in Excel Using Formulas

Formulas provide flexibility when dealing with inconsistent data formats, such as middle names or extra spaces.

Common Formulas for Splitting Cells:

Extract First Word:

=LEFT(A2, FIND(" ", A2) - 1)

Extract Last Word:

=RIGHT(A2, LEN(A2) - FIND(" ", A2))

Extract Middle Name:

=MID(A2, FIND(" ", A2) + 1, FIND(" ", A2, FIND(" ", A2) + 1) - FIND(" ", A2) - 1)

Follow the below steps to Split Cells in Excel Using Formulas:

Step 1: Enter the data and Type Headers

Type Header text “Product” and “Category” to cells B1 and C1 respectively

Step 2: Enter Formula

Write the below formula in cell B2 to split the first word (Product)

=LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1)

Step 3: Fill the formula in cells B2:B11 

Step 4: Enter Formula in C2

Write the below formula in cell C2 to split the last word (Category)

=RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-FIND(" ",A2))

Step 5: Fill the formula in cells C2:C11

How to Split Cells in Excel Using Flash Fill - 2 Methods

Excel cell splitting using basic patterns is fairly simple to utilize. It can run in two possible ways:

• In the background
• Triggered manually by the user

Method 1: Background execution

In this, Excel automatically offers ideas after trying to identify trends in the text.

Step 1: Type the Text Element

Type the text element we want to extract in the first row of the first column (with the source cells on the left). Enter the portion of the text from the second cell that we wish to extract. Flash Fill now takes action and offers suggestions.

Step 2: Press Tab Key

To accept the suggested fill, press the Tab or Enter key.

Method 2: Manual Execution

Now that we've seen how the Flash fill auto-suggests the data, let's have a look at the manual approach as well.

Step 1: Type the Text Element

In any single row, type the text element that has to be extracted. In this particular example (Last name)

Step 2: Go to the Home Tab

Click Home Tab and  Fill (dropdown) > Flash Fill, and choose the cells in the range that should have values entered.

Pro Tip: Flash Fill works best with consistent data and patterns.

How to Split Cells in Excel Using Power Query

Excel's Power Query feature can also be used to divide several cells. It has been natively available since Excel 2016.

Let's start off with adding our data cells into the Power Query editor. The steps to take are listed below,

Step 1: Go to the Home Tab

Click Data tab and from Table/Range after choosing any cell from the data set

Step 2. Click "Ok"

Make sure the "My table has headers" option is checked, and the whole range is selected. Then press OK.

Step 3. Data Visible

All the data will be visible when the Power Query editor opens.

Step 4. Go to the Home Tab

Select Home > Split Column (drop-down) > By Delimiter from the Power Query ribbon.

Step 5. Click "Ok"

The Space character and At each occurrence of the delimiter are both suitable choices for our circumstances. Select OK

Step 6. Change Heading If necessary

The Employee name column is now divided into two distinct columns in the data preview pane. To change the headings to First name and Last name, double-click the header and make changes respectively.

How to Divide a Cell in Excel in Excel Using Text Functions in Excel

There are many Text Functions in Excel, but we don't need all of them here. A few of them are mentioned below:

• LEN- Returns the length of a String.
• RIGHT- Extract a specified number of characters from a String's right end.
• LEFT- Extract a specified number of characters from a String's left end.
• FIND- Look for a string inside another string.
• SEARCH- Return the positions of a string inside another string.
• MID- Extract a specified number of characters from a String's center.

You can use any combination of the above text Functions to achieve your excel splitting cells.

Enter the Formula =LEFT(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)-1) in cell B2.

The SEARCH looks for any space in the customer name and returns its position in the string. Then, the LEFT function extracts the part of the String from the left side, up to the position returned by the SEARCH Function. Now you are done with excel split cell.

Common Use Cases for Splitting Cells in Excel

How to Separate a Cell in Excel

Split names, addresses, or product details for better organization.

How to Bifurcate Data in Excel

Categorize data into Above/Below categories using IF formulas.

How to Divide a Cell in Excel

Use the Fixed Width or Text to Columns option for detailed splitting

Also Read:

• What is a Cell in Excel
• Excel: Modifying Columns, Rows, and Cells

Conclusion

Learning how to split cells in Excel is an essential skill for data organization and analysis. Whether you use Text to Columns, formulas, or Power Query, each method offers a unique way to divide and manage data efficiently. Master these techniques to ensure your spreadsheets are clean, readable, and ready for analysis.

By applying the steps and tips in this guide, you'll have a streamlined approach to splitting cells in Excel, making your data management tasks faster and more effective. Keep experimenting with the methods to find the one that works best for your needs!