Split Text
Break text into parts using a delimiter or character
What Is the Split Text Tool?
The Split Text tool takes a string or block of text and breaks it apart at every occurrence of a delimiter you specify, turning a single line of joined values into separate segments on individual lines. You choose the delimiter, whether that is a comma, a pipe, a semicolon, a space, or any other character or string, and the tool handles the splitting across the whole input at once. It is the reverse operation of the Concatenate Text tool and comes up regularly when working with CSV data, delimited exports, or any joined string that needs to be pulled apart.
Splitting text by hand, especially across a long string with many values, is one of those tasks that seems quick until you are actually doing it.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste or type your text into the input box above.
- Type your delimiter into the Delimiter field. This is the character or string the tool will use to identify where to cut the text. A comma, a pipe, a space, a semicolon, or even a word all work.
- Click Split Text and the tool separates your input at every occurrence of the delimiter, placing each segment on its own line.
- Copy the result using the Copy button, or select and copy manually. Use Clear to reset the input.
When Would You Use This?
Breaking a comma-separated list of values into individual lines so you can work with each item separately, paste them into a form, or run them through another tool one entry at a time.
Splitting a pipe-delimited or semicolon-separated export into readable individual lines before reviewing, editing, or importing the data into a different format.
Taking a joined string of values from a database query result, API response, or copied spreadsheet cell and expanding it into a vertical list for further processing or comparison.
Examples
Splitting a comma-separated list
Input : apple,banana,kiwi,mango
Delimiter: , (comma)
Output : apple
banana
kiwi
mango
Splitting a pipe-delimited string
Input : Alice|Manager|London|Full-time
Delimiter: | (pipe)
Output : Alice
Manager
London
Full-time
Splitting by space (one word per line)
Input : the quick brown fox
Delimiter: (space)
Output : the
quick
brown
fox
Splitting a semicolon-delimited string
Input : 101;Product A;9.99;In Stock
Delimiter: ; (semicolon)
Output : 101
Product A
9.99
In Stock
Splitting by a word
Input : cats and dogs and birds and fish
Delimiter: " and "
Output : cats
dogs
birds
fish
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I split text by a delimiter?
Paste your text into the input box, type your delimiter into the delimiter field, and click Split Text. Each segment between occurrences of the delimiter becomes its own line in the output.
How do I split a string in Python?
Use the split() method: text.split(',') splits by comma, text.split() splits by whitespace. For a quick manual split without writing code, paste into this tool.
How do I split text in Excel?
Use the Text to Columns feature under the Data tab. Choose Delimited, set your delimiter, and Excel splits the content across columns. For plain text outside of a spreadsheet, this tool puts each segment on a separate line instead.
How do I split a CSV into individual values?
Paste the CSV row into the input box, set the delimiter to a comma, and click Split Text. Each value in the row comes out on its own line.
What delimiter should I use?
Whatever character separates the values in your input. Comma for CSV, pipe for pipe-delimited data, semicolon for some European CSV formats, tab for TSV. If you are not sure, look at one line of your data and find the character that sits between the values.
Can I split by a word or phrase instead of a single character?
Yes. The delimiter field accepts any string, not just single characters. You can split by " and " or " or " or any multi-character sequence and the tool will cut at every occurrence of that full string.
What happens to the delimiter in the output?
The delimiter itself is removed. Each segment that appears between occurrences of the delimiter becomes a separate line, and the delimiter character does not appear in the output.
How do I split a string by space?
Type a single space into the delimiter field and click Split Text. Each word in your input will be placed on its own line.
Can I split multiple lines at once?
Yes. If your input contains multiple lines, each line is split independently using the same delimiter. The output will contain all segments from all lines, each on its own line.