WPS Split Columns is a data-cleanup feature for splitting cell content by delimiters and setting output formats in WPS Sheets on Windows; it includes 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 built-in data-processing feature in WPS Office for Windows Sheets. It helps you split the text in one cell or one column into multiple adjacent columns based on selected delimiters, while also letting you set column data formats and a destination range.
Core capabilities include:
- Choosing delimiters: supports Tab, semicolons, commas, spaces, and custom delimiters.
- Handling repeated delimiters: you can treat consecutive delimiters as one to avoid extra blank columns.
- Setting output formats: you can assign General, Text, Date, or Skip Import to each split column and set the destination range.
This feature is useful for name-and-ID cleanup, imported text data cleanup, date normalization, and batch field splitting in collaborative sheets. It is also helpful if you need to split text into columns in a spreadsheet on Windows.
System Requirements
| Item | Requirement |
|---|---|
| OS | A Windows device running WPS Office |
| App version | It is recommended to use the latest version of WPS Office |
| Network | No mandatory internet connection is required for local split-column tasks; for collaborative sheets, a stable connection is recommended |
| Other | You need an editable spreadsheet file and enough blank columns to the right of the target column for the split results |
Download & Installation
| Item | Notes |
|---|---|
| Official Download | WPS Office Free Download |
| Post-install Check | Open WPS Office, open a spreadsheet, and confirm that the Split Columns entry is available on the Data tab |
Source: WPS Download Center
Compare with Alternatives
| Dimension | WPS | Microsoft | Notion | Adobe | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Capability Summary | In Sheets, WPS provides a Data > Split Columns workflow for splitting column data with multiple delimiters, consecutive-delimiter handling, column data type settings, and destination range settings. | Microsoft Word provides page layout columns for document text, letting users format all or part of a document into multiple columns, but this is not a spreadsheet field-splitting workflow. | Google Sheets provides Split text to columns, allowing users to split clearly defined text into several columns and change the separator or use automatic detection. | Notion supports the split() function in formulas, which can split text into a list for database calculations, rather than offering an interactive spreadsheet-style split wizard. | Adobe Acrobat lets users select columns of text in a PDF and copy or export the selection, which is useful for extracting column-based content but not for spreadsheet column splitting. |
| WPS Advantages | Advantage: WPS is built directly for spreadsheet column splitting. Distinct: it combines delimiter selection, per-column format control, and destination range settings in one guided workflow. | Compared with WPS: this Microsoft page focuses on document layout columns, so its scenario is page formatting rather than splitting spreadsheet cells into fields. | Compared with WPS: Google Sheets also supports delimiter-based splitting, but the cited help page does not show a per-column data type setup flow like the WPS dialog. | Compared with WPS: Notion is more formula- and database-oriented, so it is less direct for users who want a click-through split-columns workflow in a sheet. | Compared with WPS: Adobe is more suitable for selecting and exporting text columns from PDFs than for structured spreadsheet column splitting. |
| Official Source | — | Create multiple columns in Word | Split text, remove duplicates, or trim whitespace | Formula syntax and functions | Reusing PDF content |
Overall Conclusion
WPS Split Columns is more closely aligned with spreadsheet field splitting and data cleanup tasks. If you need a direct way to split text into columns, control output formats, and choose a destination range in WPS on Windows, it offers a more task-focused workflow. Other products cover related scenarios such as document layout, formula-based text processing, or PDF text extraction.
Use Cases
| # | Scenario | Target Users | Core Pain Point | Solution |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Split names and IDs | Admin teams, HR teams | Names and IDs are mixed in one column, making filtering difficult | Use Split Columns with spaces, commas, or a custom delimiter to separate them into independent columns |
| 2 | Clean up imported text data | Finance teams, operations teams | Data copied from another system is packed into one column and is not consistently formatted | Choose the matching delimiter in Split Columns and review the preview before finishing |
| 3 | Normalize date fields | Data cleanup staff | Imported date text is inconsistent and affects sorting and calculations | Set the target column to Date in the second step |
| 4 | Skip unnecessary fields | Analysts | Some split fields do not need to be kept | Set the column data type to Do not import column (skip) |
| 5 | Organize collaborative sheets | Team collaborators | Shared sheet fields are too concentrated for efficient collaboration | Confirm the destination range first, then run Split Columns and sync the cleaned result |
Membership & Benefits
Free vs WPS Premium
| Feature | Free User | WPS Member |
|---|---|---|
| Split Columns basics | ✅ Available | ✅ Available |
| Basic PDF features | ✅ Basic PDF access | ✅ Access to more PDF tools |
| Cloud storage | 1 GB | 20 GB, depending on plan |
| Template downloads | Limited | More template benefits |
| AI features | Limited access for some features | More AI usage benefits in some plans |
Source: WPS Office pricing page
Recommendations
| Use Case | Recommended Plan | Reason |
|---|---|---|
| Everyday spreadsheet splitting and basic data cleanup | Free | Split Columns itself is available for regular office work |
| More PDF tools, cloud storage, or template benefits | WPS Member | Suitable if you also need broader document tools and expanded benefits |
How to Subscribe
- WPS membership center: Subscribe now
Source: WPS Office pricing page