Tip of the Day | Sunday 30 August 2026

This tool imports the contents of a pipe-delimited (|) text file into your current worksheet, starting at the position of the active cell.

It splits the data into columns at each pipe character (|) and uses your system's regional settings to interpret numbers and dates.

This tool is a faster alternative to manually opening the file and copying the data into your target sheet.

Use it when you want to:

• Open data from structured pipe-delimited files directly in your existing worksheet
• Analyze or convert plain text data exports that use | as the separator
• Reuse text file data for reporting, calculations, or cleanup tasks

Note:
The pipe character (|), also known as the vertical bar, is sometimes used as a delimiter in plain text files, especially when the data may include commas or tabs. It may also be referred to as a bar, pipe, or vertical line, and is still used in legacy systems and certain export formats.
For more advanced import options (such as changing data types or regional settings), consider using Excel's Data > Get & Transform Data tools.

Starting this tool