Text to Columns in Excel: Delimited and Fixed Width
The wizard writes split values into cells. Decide where its output should land before pressing Finish so adjacent data is not overwritten.
Two inputs, two different split rules
| Input | Policy | Expected cells |
|---|---|---|
P01|Blue mug | Delimited, vertical bar | P01 / Blue mug |
A104North | Fixed width after character 4 | A104 / North |
The workbook keeps three raw values in A4:A6 and three in D4:D6. B:C and E:F show expected outcomes, not wizard output. That lets you compare the actual split after running it.
Run the desktop wizard without overwriting examples
- Save a copy. Select
A4:A6; open Data → Text to Columns. - Choose Delimited, then Other and enter
|. In the preview, verify there are exactly two fields. - Set the destination to blank
H4. If product codes can begin with zero, choose Text for that output column before Finish. - For
D4:D6, run the wizard again with Fixed width. Add the boundary after character 4 and use blankK4. Compare H:I and K:L with the expected columns.
If a source contains embedded delimiters inside quoted CSV fields, use a proper CSV import workflow instead; this toy delimiter example does not define CSV quoting. Preserve the original column until the result is checked.
Windows, Mac and web
Microsoft's wizard instructions specify a destination and preview for desktop Excel. Excel for the web has a different split experience and Microsoft documents TEXTSPLIT as a function path; do not expect the same fixed-width wizard controls in the browser. UI names can vary by release and language.
Sources: Microsoft Support: Text to Columns wizard and Microsoft Support: split a cell in Excel.