How to Use SPLIT Function in Google Sheets Easily
Use the
SPLIT function in Google Sheets to divide text into separate cells by specifying a delimiter. The syntax is =SPLIT(text, delimiter), where text is the string to split and delimiter is the character or characters that separate the parts.Syntax
The SPLIT function breaks text into pieces based on a delimiter you choose.
- text: The text you want to split.
- delimiter: The character(s) that separate the parts (like a comma, space, or dash).
- split_by_each (optional): TRUE to split by each character in the delimiter, FALSE to split by the whole delimiter as one piece. Default is TRUE.
- remove_empty_text (optional): TRUE to ignore empty results, FALSE to keep them. Default is TRUE.
plaintext
=SPLIT(text, delimiter, [split_by_each], [remove_empty_text])
Example
This example splits a list of names separated by commas into separate cells.
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=SPLIT("Alice,Bob,Charlie", ",")
Output
Alice | Bob | Charlie
Common Pitfalls
Common mistakes include:
- Using the wrong delimiter (e.g., splitting by space when the text uses commas).
- Not quoting the delimiter if it is a text character.
- Expecting SPLIT to work on numbers without converting them to text first.
- Forgetting that SPLIT outputs multiple cells horizontally, which can overwrite existing data.
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=SPLIT("Apple;Orange;Banana", ",") <em>Wrong delimiter, no split happens</em> =SPLIT("Apple;Orange;Banana", ";") <em>Correct delimiter, splits into three cells</em>
Quick Reference
| Parameter | Description | Default |
|---|---|---|
| text | The text to split | Required |
| delimiter | Character(s) to split by | Required |
| split_by_each | Split by each delimiter character (TRUE/FALSE) | TRUE |
| remove_empty_text | Remove empty results (TRUE/FALSE) | TRUE |
Key Takeaways
Use SPLIT to separate text into multiple cells by a chosen delimiter.
Always match the delimiter exactly to the separator in your text.
SPLIT outputs results horizontally across cells, so ensure space is available.
Optional parameters control splitting behavior and empty text handling.
Enclose delimiters in quotes when they are text characters.