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Extracting Names from Text Column to New Rows in Database Table
In my company table, I have a text column that contains a list of people's names separated by commas. I want to send each name as a new row to a new table. How do I do that
In my company table, I have a text column that contains a list of people's names separated by commas. I want to send each name as a new row to a new table. How do I do that
To split comma-separated names and send each as a new row:
1. First, convert the comma-separated text to a list:
• Use Extract Data From Values to process the CSV data
• Add the correct column using the Forward Slash (/) command
• Apply this custom extraction Regex: [^,"]+"?[^,"]+
2. Then use write to table to send each name as a row:
• Click Actions → Send table data
• Select your destination table
• Choose Send row for each item in a list
• Map the list data to your new table columns
This will flatten your list so each name becomes a separate row in the destination table.
How do I even format a list? I have a Text column that contains JSON lists as values. But when I refer to this column in "send row for each item in a list", it shows the error message "Please add a valid list"
The error occurs because your text column isn't formatted as a proper list. To fix this, you need to convert the JSON text to an actual list format that Clay recognizes. Solution: Add the list through the "Other data from this table" section when setting up "send row for each item in a list" instead of directly referencing the text column. Alternative: Change your column data type to List format: 1. Right-click the column header 2. Select Edit Column > Select Data Type 3. Choose List as the data type 4. Save settings Could you copy and paste your JSON data into the chat? This will help me troubleshoot any specific formatting issues that might be causing the error.
I do not see List as a data type
Since there's no List data type available, you need to add the list through the "Other data from this table" section when setting up "send row for each item in a list" instead of directly referencing the text column.
Alternatively, if your JSON text contains comma-separated values, you can:
1. Use Extract Data From Values to process the data
2. Add the correct column using the Forward Slash (/) command
3. Apply this custom extraction Regex: [^,"]+"?[^,"]+
This will convert your text into a proper list format.
Once you have a proper list, you can click into the cell, hover to the right of the list, and select "Turn items into rows" to move each item into its own row in another table.
Could you copy and paste your JSON data into the chat? This will help troubleshoot any specific formatting issues.
Hey Jialiang, thanks for reaching out. That's a job for the "Send data" integration: Send data table: You can send data into a new table using the “Send table data" option. This is great for sending lists of objects, individual values, or both. For example, if you have an enrichment with a list of multiple objects, you would select the “send table data” option. You can also add other values to match that are in this table but not as a list. Let me know if you have any follow up questions! Daniel