Try the example, then check the result.
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Quick answer
Enter =TRANSPOSE(SPLIT(A2,",")) in C2 with C2:C4 clear. The practice values become AUDIT, REVIEW, and SHIP in three rows.
Before you start
Use the fictional task-tags-practice.csv and work in a disposable copy. Compare your result with the independent answer-check.md. Use only fictional data.
Step 1: Turn 1 Comma Cell Into 3 Rows
A fictional task export puts AUDIT, REVIEW, and SHIP into one cell separated by commas. The data needs one tag per row for a vertical checklist. The usual Split text to columns command would spread them across the page, so we will combine SPLIT with TRANSPOSE and verify the three exact outputs.
Step 2: Inspect the exact delimiter
Open the practice CSV in a disposable Google Sheet and read A2 exactly: AUDIT comma REVIEW comma SHIP, with no spaces after the commas. This detail matters because the simple formula below does not trim surrounding spaces. Leave A2 in place so the result remains linked to the source. Clear C2 through C4 before entering an array formula.
Step 3: Split first, then turn the result
SPLIT separates the source text around each comma and returns a horizontal row of three values. TRANSPOSE switches that row into a vertical column. Google documents both functions separately. In this lesson, the nested formula is simpler than moving cells by hand, and any edit to A2 should recalculate the three visible outputs.
Step 4: Enter the nested formula
Select C2 and type the formula exactly as shown for a U.S. formula locale. Press Enter and look for a three-cell spill down column C. If Sheets reports that the array cannot expand, clear the destination cells in a disposable copy rather than overwriting unrelated data. Do not drag the formula down three times; one formula creates the full list.
=TRANSPOSE(SPLIT(A2,","))Step 5: Compare each row with the source
C2 should say AUDIT, C3 should say REVIEW, and C4 should say SHIP. Check the order as well as the count; a vertical list is only useful if the original sequence survives. The original A2 stays as one comma-separated text value. The result is three values, not three independently editable copies of the source.
Step 6: AUDIT, REVIEW, SHIP in C2:C4
If a source cell contains spaces after commas, blank items, or several rows of comma lists, do not assume this one-cell example handles those cases. Inspect the text, choose a cleanup step appropriate to it, and independently check the result. The companion answer shows the exact no-space example, so the tutorial makes a narrow claim that can be reproduced.
Check your result
With AUDIT,REVIEW,SHIP in A2, place =TRANSPOSE(SPLIT(A2,",")) in C2. The spill in C2:C4 is exactly AUDIT, REVIEW, SHIP, one value per row in that order. Clear C2:C4 before entry so the array can expand. The source text in A2 is unchanged.
Limits and troubleshooting
This exact formula handles one cell whose delimiters are literal commas with no spaces. It does not normalize comma-space input, preserve blank tokens, or split an entire column of source rows. Formula argument separators can vary by spreadsheet locale; check the separator shown in your own sheet if the formula is rejected.
Product references
Practice downloads.
The exercise files contain invented information. Save a local copy before editing.