If you want to insert a delimiter after every N characters in Google Sheets, one of the most efficient ways is to use the REGEXREPLACE function. This can be helpful in various use cases — such as formatting text strings, preparing data for splitting, or inserting separators into codes or IDs.

Let’s walk through how to use this function effectively.

Why Insert a Delimiter After N Characters in Google Sheets?

Inserting a delimiter into a text string every N characters can help:

• Split a text after every N characters.
• Add a space, comma, pipe, or any custom separator at regular intervals.
• Format data like product codes, IDs, or even strings of characters.

Google Sheets doesn’t have a built-in tool for this specific task, but we can easily do it using a clever REGEXREPLACE formula.

Generic Formulas to Insert a Delimiter After N Characters

Here are two formula patterns you can use:

1. To Insert a Delimiter After Every N Characters

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, ".{n}", "$0,")

Replace n with the number of characters after which you want to insert the delimiter, and replace the comma (",") with your desired delimiter.

2. To Insert a Delimiter After the First N Characters Only

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, "^.{n}", "$0,")

This inserts the delimiter just once — after the first n characters.

We’ll now look at examples to make this clear.

Examples: Insert a Delimiter After Every N Characters in Google Sheets

Let’s say cell A1 contains the following string:

ABCDEFGHIJKLMNOPQRSTUVWXYZ

To insert a comma after every character, use:

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, ".{1}", "$0,")

Output:

A,B,C,D,E,F,G,H,I,J,K,L,M,N,O,P,Q,R,S,T,U,V,W,X,Y,Z,

If you want to insert the delimiter after every 2 characters, use:

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, ".{2}", "$0,")

Output:

AB,CD,EF,GH,IJ,KL,MN,OP,QR,ST,UV,WX,YZ,

To change the delimiter, simply replace the comma with another symbol. For example, to use a pipe (|):

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, ".{2}", "$0|")

Output:

AB|CD|EF|GH|IJ|KL|MN|OP|QR|ST|UV|WX|YZ|

How to Split a Text String After Every N Characters in Google Sheets

If your goal is to split the text every N characters, you can combine REGEXREPLACE with SPLIT:

=SPLIT(REGEXREPLACE(A1, ".{1}", "$0|"), "|")

This approach inserts a delimiter every N characters and then splits the string using that delimiter.

Insert a Delimiter After the First N Characters Only

To insert a delimiter after just the first N characters, slightly modify the formula by adding the caret ^ at the beginning of the regex:

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, "^.{13}", "$0-")

This would insert a hyphen after the first 13 characters.

ABCDEFGHIJKLM-NOPQRSTUVWXYZ

If A1 contains "InfoInspired" and you want to insert a space after the 4th character:

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, "^.{4}", "$0 ")

Output:

Info Inspired

This is a great trick when you need to add a space or any other separator at a specific point in a string.

Can You Insert a Delimiter After N Characters in Numbers?

Yes, but there’s a catch.

If the cell contains a number (e.g., 1256789), using REGEXREPLACE directly will result in a #VALUE! error because the function expects a text value.

Workarounds for Numbers in Google Sheets

1. Convert the number to text first:

=REGEXREPLACE(TO_TEXT(A1), "^.{3}", "$0-")

2. Format the cell as plain text:
   Go to Format > Number > Plain Text in the menu.
   Then use the regular REGEXREPLACE formula:

=REGEXREPLACE(A1, "^.{3}", "$0-")

Array Formulas: Insert a Delimiter into Multiple Rows

Want to apply this to a column of text or numbers? Use ARRAYFORMULA.

For numbers:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A1:A="", "", REGEXREPLACE(TO_TEXT(A1:A), "^.{3}", "$0-")))

For text strings:

=ARRAYFORMULA(IF(A1:A="", "", REGEXREPLACE(A1:A, "^.{3}", "$0-")))

These formulas help you insert a delimiter after N characters in Google Sheets across an entire range.

Recap: Use Cases for Inserting Delimiters

• Format product or employee codes.
• Break long strings into readable chunks.
• Prepare data for splitting by inserting a temporary delimiter.
• Split text after or every N characters using SPLIT.

Related Resources

• Split Text into Groups of N Words in Google Sheets (Using Regex + SPLIT)
• Split and Count Words in Google Sheets (Array Formula)
• Split Text in Google Sheets Without Losing Formatting (Preserve Zeros & Hex)
• How to Split a Number into Digits in Google Sheets
• How to Remove Extra Delimiters in Google Sheets
• Split Numbers from Text Without Delimiters in Google Sheets
• How to Replace Every Nth Delimiter in Google Sheets