WPS Split Columns on macOS helps you split cell content by delimiter and set column data formats; this guide covers 3 core tasks, with 3 available without membership and 0 membership-related items.
At a Glance
| Metric | Value | Notes |
|---|---|---|
| Core tasks | 3 | Matches the number of rows in the How-to Index |
| Available without membership | 3 | Matches the number of Free rows in the index |
| Membership-related items | 0 | Matches the number of membership-related rows in the index |
About This Feature
Overview
Split Columns is a data-cleanup feature in WPS Office for Mac spreadsheets. It lets you split the content of one cell into multiple adjacent columns based on selected delimiters, and it also lets you set a data type and destination range before the result is written back to the sheet.
Core capabilities include:
- Delimiter selection: supports Tab, semicolon, comma, space, and custom delimiters.
- Consecutive delimiter handling: can treat repeated delimiters as one to reduce unnecessary blank columns.
- Output control: lets you set each previewed column as General, Text, Date, or Skip import, and choose a destination range.
This feature is useful for contact lists, imported text records, and collaborative sheets that contain mixed fields in a single column. Before you run Split Columns, make sure there are enough blank columns to the right of the target data so existing content is not overwritten.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| Operating system | A Mac device that can run WPS Office normally |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office for Mac |
| Network | No mandatory network connection is required for local split operations; collaboration sync requires internet access |
| Other | You need to open a WPS spreadsheet file and have edit permission for the current worksheet |
Download & Installation
| Item | Details |
|---|---|
| Official download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Post-install check | Open WPS Spreadsheet and confirm that the Split Columns entry is available on the Data tab |
Source: WPS download page
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | In spreadsheets, WPS provides a Data > Split Columns workflow for splitting cell content by delimiter, handling consecutive delimiters, setting column data types, and choosing a destination range. | Microsoft Word officially provides page column layout for documents, which arranges text into columns but is not a spreadsheet cell-splitting workflow. | Google Sheets supports Data > Split text to columns for splitting clearly defined text into several columns based on a separator. | Notion officially supports importing CSV, Excel, Word, PDF, and other files into pages or databases, which is oriented toward import and mapping rather than an in-sheet split-columns wizard. | Adobe Acrobat officially focuses on exporting PDFs and converting content to other formats, rather than splitting spreadsheet cell content into adjacent columns. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS combines delimiter selection, preview, per-column data type settings, and destination range control in one workflow. Distinct: it fits spreadsheet cleanup tasks directly inside an existing sheet. | Compared with WPS: Word's official feature is document layout columns, so it does not target spreadsheet field splitting. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets supports separator-based splitting, but the official page emphasizes separator selection and automatic detection rather than per-column import type settings. | Compared with WPS: Notion is better suited to importing structured files into pages or databases than splitting existing spreadsheet cells inside a worksheet. | Compared with WPS: Adobe's official workflow centers on PDF export and conversion, not spreadsheet column splitting. |
| Official Source | — | Create multiple columns in Word | Split text, remove duplicates, or trim whitespace | Import data into Notion | Export PDFs |
Overall Conclusion
If you need to split one spreadsheet column into multiple columns while also controlling output format and destination, WPS is a practical fit for spreadsheet cleanup on macOS. Other products focus on related but different tasks: Google Sheets supports online text splitting, Microsoft Word focuses on document layout columns, and Notion and Adobe are more aligned with import or conversion workflows.
Use Cases
| No. | Scenario | Suitable for | Main issue | How WPS helps |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Split names and contact details | Admin staff, sales teams, operations teams | One cell contains a name together with a phone number or email | Split the content into adjacent columns with delimiters |
| 2 | Clean imported text data | Data cleanup staff | Text pasted into a sheet has inconsistent field structure | Choose the right delimiter and review the preview before applying |
| 3 | Preserve date or text formatting | Finance staff, project members | Split results may not keep the expected number or date format | Set each column as General, Text, or Date in step two |
| 4 | Avoid unnecessary blank columns | Collaborative sheet maintainers | Source data contains repeated spaces or repeated delimiters | Treat consecutive delimiters as one |
| 5 | Send output to a specific range | Team collaborators | Split results may overwrite existing content | Set a different destination range before finishing |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Capability | Free users | WPS Premium |
|---|---|---|
| Basic spreadsheet Split Columns feature | Available | Available |
| Advanced PDF editing and conversion | Basic access | More advanced tools available |
| Cloud storage and template benefits | Basic storage and limited templates | Higher cloud storage and broader template access |
| AI tools | Limited access | Broader AI-related access |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Usage scenario | Recommended plan | Why |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday spreadsheet field splitting | Free | Split Columns itself is available for regular data cleanup tasks |
| Frequent work across PDF, templates, and AI tools | WPS Premium | Better suited to users who need broader office features in one subscription |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page