> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://parabola.io/docs/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.

# Split column

> The **Split column** step splits a column into one or more based on a specified delimiter, such as a comma.

## Input/output

Our input data below is a single column called "Data".

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/parabola-7119dfb0/yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT/images/columns/split-column-input.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT&q=85&s=2a81ca289120ca0130948ce48cf94945" alt="Input table with a single Data column containing dash-delimited values" width="384" height="370" data-path="images/columns/split-column-input.png" />
</Frame>

We'll use the **Split column** step to split this single column into three different columns using the delimiter of a dash mark "-". The output data will look like this:

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/parabola-7119dfb0/yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT/images/columns/split-column-output.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT&q=85&s=4ddf353d8c4490b969c95f0b023d6afc" alt="Output table where the Data column has been split into three new columns using the dash delimiter" width="1886" height="1225" data-path="images/columns/split-column-output.png" />
</Frame>

## Custom settings

First, in the dropdown **select from menu**, choose which column to split into one or more.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/parabola-7119dfb0/_Rd06MegMqgoEJ3a/images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-1.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=_Rd06MegMqgoEJ3a&q=85&s=44f3d2b9d4e6f3456ac6146e16389457" alt="Split column settings with the source column dropdown selected" width="1886" height="1225" data-path="images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-1.png" />
</Frame>

Next, decide if you'd like your data split into new columns or  rows by clicking into the linked dropdown menu **columns**.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/parabola-7119dfb0/yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT/images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-2.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT&q=85&s=72694a5f587948c806d7548afcb0af5f" alt="Toggle between splitting into new columns or new rows" width="1887" height="1232" data-path="images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-2.png" />
</Frame>

You can separate a column's value based on any delimiter by typing into the section **type value...** whether it be a comma, semi-colon, dash, space, number, letter, or special character. In our screenshot examples, the "Data" column is split into three columns based on a dash mark **-**.

<Frame>
  <img src="https://mintcdn.com/parabola-7119dfb0/yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT/images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-3.png?fit=max&auto=format&n=yElMlrQLzUnRnyYT&q=85&s=51dde72f90b3534ef609bc888ef50b95" alt="Delimiter input field accepting commas, dashes, semicolons, or other characters" width="1886" height="1225" data-path="images/columns/split-column-custom-settings-3.png" />
</Frame>

## Helpful tips

* If you'd like to join a dataset using this step to another one based on the step's newly-generated column output and choose to separate values by a comma, be sure to include the space after the comma in order for values to start with the letter or number. For example, splitting apart a column of orders like "shirt, pants, hat" by the comma without a space — like (**,**) versus (**,** ) — will create the output of rows "shirt", " pants", and " hat".

## Related steps

* [Combine columns](/product/transform/combine-columns) — reverse a split by joining columns back together.
* [Split names](/product/transform/split-names) — break full names into first, middle, last, and other parts.
* [Replace with regex](/product/transform/use-regex) — split using pattern matching when delimiters vary.
* [Extract text from column](/product/transform/extract-text-from-column) — pull a substring out of a column without splitting.
* [Clean data](/product/transform/clean-data) — trim whitespace from split values before further use.
