How to Split a Cell in Excel

To split a cell in Excel, select it and go to Data > Text to Columns to divide its text into separate columns, or, if the cell was merged, use Home > Merge & Center > Unmerge Cells to turn it back into separate cells. Excel can’t cut a single, unmerged cell in half the way Word can split a table cell, so splitting always means moving the contents into neighboring cells.

These steps are for Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, 2021, 2019 and 2016 on Windows. Excel for Mac has the same Text to Columns and Flash Fill tools. In Excel for the web, Microsoft recommends the TEXTSPLIT formula in place of the Text to Columns wizard.

Which Method Should You Use?

• Unmerge Cells: the cell spans several columns or rows because it was merged.
• Text to Columns: every cell follows the same pattern, such as “First Last” or “City, State.”
• Flash Fill: the pattern is easy to see but you’d rather show Excel an example than set options.
• TEXTSPLIT or LEFT/RIGHT formulas: you want results that update when the original text changes, or you’re in Excel for the web.
• Power Query: you split the same kind of imported data again and again.

Microsoft’s split a cell in Excel page explains why a cell can’t be divided: it’s the smallest unit in a worksheet, fixed at one row and one column.

Method 1: Unmerge a Merged Cell

1. Click the merged cell.
2. On the Home tab, click the small arrow next to Merge & Center.
3. Click Unmerge Cells. The cell splits back into its original cells, and its contents stay in the top-left one.

If the button is grayed out, the sheet may be protected or you may be editing the cell. Press Esc and try again. To go the other way, see our guide to merging cells in Excel.

Method 2: Split Text Into Columns With Text to Columns

This is the classic way to split a cell’s contents, such as turning “Jane Smith” into “Jane” and “Smith.”

1. Insert enough empty columns to the right of your data. Text to Columns overwrites anything in the cells next to it.
2. Select the cells you want to split. They must all be in one column.
3. Go to the Data tab and click Text to Columns. The Convert Text to Columns Wizard opens.
4. Choose Delimited if a character such as a space or comma separates the parts, or Fixed width if every part is the same length. Click Next.
5. Check the delimiter your data uses, such as Space or Comma. If there are double spaces, check Treat consecutive delimiters as one. The Data preview at the bottom shows where the splits will happen. Click Next.

6. To keep leading zeros in ZIP codes or ID numbers, click that column in the preview and choose Text under Column data format.
7. Check the Destination box. It shows where the first split cell will go; change it if you want to keep the original column untouched.
8. Click Finish. The text is spread across the columns.

For Fixed width, step 5 shows a preview where you click to add a break line, drag a line to move it, or double-click a line to remove it.

To do the reverse and join two cells back together, see how to combine first and last names in Excel.

Method 3: Split Cells With Flash Fill

Flash Fill copies a pattern after you show it one example.

1. Click the cell next to your first entry, such as B2 beside “Jane Smith” in A2.
2. Type the part you want, such as Jane, and press Enter.
3. Press Ctrl + E, or go to Data > Flash Fill. Excel fills the rest of column B by following your example.

4. In column C, type the second part (Smith), press Enter, and press Ctrl + E again.

Look over the results. Flash Fill guesses from your example, so middle names or unusual entries can come out wrong. Unlike a formula, Flash Fill results don’t update if the original text changes.

Method 4: Split a Cell With a Formula

In Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024 and Excel for the web, the TEXTSPLIT function splits text in one step and updates automatically.

• =TEXTSPLIT(A2," ") splits the text in A2 at each space, across columns.
• =TEXTSPLIT(A2,", ") splits at a comma followed by a space.
• =TEXTSPLIT(A2,,",") splits at commas down rows instead of across columns.
• =TEXTSPLIT(A2," ",,TRUE) ignores empty values caused by double spaces.

The results “spill” into the cells to the right or below. If any of those cells contain data, you’ll see a #SPILL! error until you clear them.

Example: Split “Jane Smith” Into First and Last Names

Part	Microsoft 365 / Excel 2024	Any version
First name	=TEXTBEFORE(A2," ")	=LEFT(A2,FIND(" ",A2)-1)
Last name	=TEXTAFTER(A2," ")	=RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-FIND(" ",A2))

Enter the formulas in B2 and C2, then drag the fill handle down the column. These work for names with exactly one space. For “Mary Ann Smith,” =TEXTAFTER(A2," ",-1) returns the text after the last space instead.

To turn formula results into plain text, copy them and use Home > Paste > Paste Values. Then you can delete the original column if you no longer need it.

Method 5: Split a Column With Power Query

Power Query is worth it for large lists or data you import on a schedule, because it repeats the same split each time you refresh.

1. Click a cell in your data and choose Data > From Table/Range. Click OK if Excel asks to create a table. The Power Query Editor opens.
2. Click the column you want to split.
3. Choose Home > Split Column > By Delimiter.
4. Pick the delimiter and whether to split at each occurrence, the left-most one, or the right-most one. Click OK.
5. Click Home > Close & Load. The split data lands on a new sheet.

See Microsoft’s Power Query split guide for splitting by number of characters and other options.

Make One Cell Look Split Diagonally

Sometimes you just want a header cell with two labels, like “Month” and “Region,” divided by a line.

1. Right-click the cell and choose Format Cells.
2. Open the Border tab, click the diagonal border button (top-left to bottom-right), and click OK.
3. Click in the cell, type the first label, press Alt + Enter for a new line, and type the second label.
4. Add spaces before the first label to push it right, so each label sits on its own side of the line.

It’s still one cell; only the formatting changes. If you just need one cell to look larger, see whether you can resize a single cell in Excel.

Troubleshooting

• Text to Columns is grayed out: you’re editing a cell or have selected more than one column. Press Esc and select cells in a single column.
• Data next to the column was overwritten: press Ctrl + Z right away, insert empty columns, and run it again.
• Leading zeros disappeared: undo, then in the last wizard step set that column’s format to Text.
• Names with middle names split into three columns: use Flash Fill, or the TEXTBEFORE/TEXTAFTER formulas with -1 to split at the last space.
• #SPILL! error with TEXTSPLIT: clear the cells where the results need to go.
• No Text to Columns wizard in Excel for the web: use TEXTSPLIT, or open the file in the desktop app.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can you split a single cell into two in Excel?

Not truly. A cell can’t be divided, but you can move parts of its contents into neighboring cells with Text to Columns, Flash Fill or a formula, or unmerge a cell that was merged.

How do I split a cell into two rows?

Use =TEXTSPLIT(A2,,",") to split down rows. In older versions, split into columns with Text to Columns, copy the results, and use Paste Special > Transpose to turn them into rows.

How do I split a cell at a line break?

In Text to Columns, choose Delimited, check Other, click in its box, and press Ctrl + J to enter a line break. With a formula, use =TEXTSPLIT(A2,CHAR(10)).

Can I split a cell diagonally?

Only visually. Add a diagonal border with Format Cells > Border and place a label on each side, as shown above. It stays one cell.