Split Column in CSV Files Online
Split a column into multiple columns by delimiter in CSV files directly in your browser. Turn "First Last" into separate first and last name columns — no upload required.
How to split Column in CSV files
- Drop your file onto the upload area. The first column is selected as the column to split, and the first 200 rows are shown.
- Pick the column to split and type the delimiter. The default is a single space. Any text works, including multi-character delimiters such as " | ".
- Set the number of parts, from 2 to 10. Each part gets a name box, pre-filled as column_1, column_2 and so on, which you can rename.
- Tick Remove original column if you only want the parts, then click Split Column.
- Check the preview and download the file. The new columns sit directly after the source column, or in its place if you removed it.
Your file is processed locally in your browser and is never uploaded. The free limit is 50 MB per file; larger files work if your device has the memory for them.
Worked example
A warehouse stock sheet packs category, colour and size into one SKU code. The buying team wants to filter by colour and size separately.
Input (CSV)
sku,stock,warehouse
SHOE-RED-42,14,WLG
SHOE-BLK-39,3,AKL
HAT-BLUE,22,WLG
SOCK-WHT-M-3PK,40,CHCSettings
- Column to split: sku
- Delimiter: -
- Number of parts: 3, named category, color, size
- Remove original column: ticked
Result
| category | color | size | stock | warehouse |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| SHOE | RED | 42 | 14 | WLG |
| SHOE | BLK | 39 | 3 | AKL |
| HAT | BLUE | 22 | WLG | |
| SOCK | WHT | M | 40 | CHC |
Each part is taken by position. HAT-BLUE has only two parts, so its size is an empty string. SOCK-WHT-M-3PK has four, and anything after the third part is dropped, so 3PK is lost. Raise the number of parts to keep it. The size column is text even where it holds numbers like 42.
Working with CSV files
The delimiter you split on is separate from the CSV's own comma. A cell like "Dunedin, Otago" is already one quoted field when the file loads, so splitting it on ", " gives two clean columns. If you split on a character that appears in some values and not others, rows with fewer parts get empty strings in the extra columns. The tool does not write NULL for them.
Every new part is a text column. That matters once the result is saved, because the next tool to read the CSV will infer types again. A part holding 42 and 39 comes back as a number. Codes with leading zeros, like 0042, are usually kept as text by this site, but spreadsheet programs often strip the zeros when they open the CSV. Doubled delimiters, for example two spaces between words, produce an empty part, so run Trim Whitespace or a regex find and replace to collapse them before splitting.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I split a CSV column on a comma inside the values?
Yes. Quoted fields such as "Smith, Jane" load as one value. Enter , or ", " as the delimiter and the value is split into separate columns.
Why do some split CSV cells come out blank instead of empty?
They are empty strings, which look the same as missing values once written to CSV. A row with fewer parts than you asked for gets an empty string in each extra column.
What happens when a value has more parts than I asked for?
The extra parts are dropped. Splitting "Mary Ann Lee" into 2 parts on a space gives "Mary" and "Ann", and "Lee" is lost. Set the number of parts to the largest count in your data.
What happens when a value has fewer parts?
The missing parts are empty strings, not NULL. A NULL in the source column gives NULL in every part.
Is the delimiter a regular expression?
No. It is matched as literal text and is case-sensitive. Use Regex Extract if you need a pattern.
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