Lines to Columns
About this tool
Turn a long list into a table with a fixed number of columns. Paste one item per line, choose how many columns you want and how to separate them, and paste the result into Excel, Google Sheets, a document or a CSV file.
Everything runs in your browser. Your list is never sent to a server.
How it works
- Across fills each row from left to right before starting the next row: with 3 columns, lines 1 to 3 become the first row. Down fills each column from top to bottom, so the list reads down the first column, then down the second.
- With Down, the rows are as many as needed so the columns are as full as possible (7 lines in 3 columns make 3 rows, filled 3 + 3 + 1), so you may end up with fewer columns than you asked for when the list is short.
- Turn on Fill missing cells to add empty cells at the end of short rows, so a pasted table stays rectangular.
- Only when needed (CSV) wraps an item in double quotes only if it contains the separator, a double quote or a line break, and doubles any double quote inside it (RFC 4180). Always "double" and Always 'single' wrap every item; inside single quotes a single quote is doubled (
it''s), as in SQL. - Windows (CRLF), Unix (LF) and old Mac (CR) line endings are all accepted. The result always uses LF.
FAQ
Q. Can I get the result as a table in Excel?
A. Yes. Choose Tab as the separator and paste the result into a cell. Excel puts each item in its own cell.
Q. Why are my columns in the wrong direction?
A. Switch the fill order. Across reads a b c / d e f, while Down reads a c e / b d f for the same list.
Q. How many items can I convert?
A. Hundreds of thousands of lines are fine on a normal computer. Nothing is uploaded, so there is no server-side limit.