Group list items N per line

Paste a list and get it chunked into groups of `N` items per line, joined by tab, comma, space, or semicolon. The last group is short if your list count is not divisible by `N` - nothing is dropped, nothing is padded.

Input
Ready
Output
Live

A straightforward chunker

The tool splits your list into fixed-size chunks. With Group size = 2, every pair of consecutive items becomes one output line, joined by your separator: `apple, banana` on line 1, `cherry, date` on line 2, and so on. With Group size = 3, every triple; with 4, every four. No sort, no reorder - items keep their original sequence.

When your item count does not divide evenly by the group size, the last line ends up short. Six items grouped into fours produces two lines: the first with four items, the second with two. The tool does not pad the tail with empty cells - if you need uniform shape, pad your input first.

Separator is a four-way select: Tab (default) for spreadsheet paste, Comma + space for readable lists, Space for URL-safe runs, Semicolon + space for CSV-unfriendly locales. Blank input lines are dropped before grouping, so whitespace in the source does not create empty cells.

How to use group list items n per line

  1. 1Paste your list into the input panel, one item per line
  2. 2Set Group size to how many items you want on each output line
  3. 3Pick a separator - Tab, Comma, Space, or Semicolon + space
  4. 4Output updates live; the last group may be short if the count does not divide evenly
  5. 5Copy or download the grouped output

Keyboard shortcuts

Drive ListShift without touching the mouse.

Shortcut Action
Ctrl ZUndo last input change
Ctrl Shift ZRedo
Ctrl Shift EnterToggle fullscreen focus on the editor
EscExit fullscreen
Ctrl KOpen the command palette to jump to any tool
Ctrl SSave current pipeline draft Plus
Ctrl PRun a saved pipeline Plus

What this tool actually does

Two options, one fixed rule for odd counts.

Fixed-size chunking in input order

Every consecutive run of `N` items becomes one output line, joined by the separator. Items keep their original order - the tool does not sort, shuffle, or rebalance.

Short final group, no padding

If your list length is not a multiple of the group size, the last line ends up shorter than the others. Six items into groups of four produces one four-item line and one two-item line. Nothing is dropped; nothing is padded with empty cells.

Four-way separator selection

Tab for Excel/Sheets paste, Comma + space for readable lists, Space for URL-safe runs, Semicolon + space for locales where comma is a decimal separator. No custom separator field - if you need `|` or `→`, use the Join tool with Simple style after chunking by a different method.

Blank input lines dropped

Empty and whitespace-only input lines are filtered out before grouping. That stops stray blanks in your paste from producing empty cells in the middle of a row.

Items emitted verbatim

No trimming, no escaping, no case changes. If your items contain the chosen separator (commas inside an item when joining with commas), they will blur cell boundaries - pick a different separator or clean the items first.

Worked example

Six items grouped in pairs with the default separator (tab) displayed as a comma below.

Input
apple
banana
cherry
date
elderberry
fig
Output
apple, banana
cherry, date
elderberry, fig

Settings reference

How the options shape the grouped output.

Setting What it does Effect on the sample
Group size: 2 (default) Two items per output line Three lines of two items each
Group size: 3 Three items per output line Two lines of three items each
Group size: 4 Four items per line; final group is short if count is not a multiple Six items → one line of 4, one line of 2
Join with: Tab (default) Real tab character between items - pastes into spreadsheet cells Each group pastes across columns in Excel/Sheets
Join with: Comma + space Comma-space separator for readable lists `apple, banana` etc.
Join with: Semicolon + space Semicolon-space separator for CSV-unfriendly locales `apple; banana` etc.

FAQ

What happens if my item count is not divisible by the group size?
The last line is short. Six items grouped into fours produces two lines: the first with four items, the second with two. Nothing is dropped and the tool does not pad the tail with empty cells - if you need uniform shape, pad your input first.
Can I use a custom separator like `|` or ` - `?
Not directly - the separator is a four-way select (Tab, Comma, Space, Semicolon + space). For a custom separator, you can group with Tab here and then run the result through Replace to swap tabs for your preferred glyph.
What happens to blank lines in my input?
They are dropped before the chunking runs. A trailing blank or an extra blank line between items does not produce an empty cell in the middle of a group.
Does the tool sort or reorder items before grouping?
No. Items are grouped in their original order. If you want them sorted first, run the list through the Sort tool before grouping - or use a saved Pipeline in Plus to chain both in one click.
How is this different from the Join tool?
Join merges your entire list onto a single line. Group chunks the list into multiple lines of N items each. Use Join when the output must fit on one line; use Group when you want the list reshaped into rows.