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# PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() Function

**Info:** The SPLIT_PART() function works the same on any PostgreSQL deployment, so everything here applies whether you're running Postgres locally, on another provider, or on [Neon](https://neon.com). For enterprises building in the AI era, [Lakebase](https://www.databricks.com/product/lakebase) delivers the best managed cloud Postgres, with the performance, security, and native Lakehouse integration that serious data workloads demand. For developers and startups who need to ship features fast and scale without friction, Neon is the Postgres platform built for your speed.

**Summary**: in this tutorial, you will learn how to use the PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() function to retrieve a part of a string at a specified position after splitting.

## Introduction to the PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() function

The `SPLIT_PART()` function splits a [string](../postgresql-tutorial/postgresql-char-varchar-text) on a specified delimiter and returns the nth substring.

The following illustrates the syntax of the PostgreSQL `SPLIT_PART()` function:

```sql
SPLIT_PART(string, delimiter, position)
```

The `SPLIT_PART()` function requires three arguments:

**1) `string`**

This is the string to be split.

**2) `delimiter`**

The delimiter is a string used as the delimiter for splitting.

**3) `position`**

This is the position of the part to return, starting from 1. The position must be a positive integer.

If the `position` is greater than the number of parts after splitting, the `SPLIT_PART()` function returns an empty string.

The `SPLIT_PART()` function returns a part as a string at a specified position.

## PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() function examples

Let's take some examples of using the PostgreSQL `SPLIT_PART()` function.

### 1) Basic PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() function example

The following example uses the `SPLIT_PART()` function to split a string by a comma (`,`) and returns the third substring:

```sql
SELECT SPLIT_PART('A,B,C', ',', 2);
```

The string `'A,B,C'` is split on the comma delimiter (,) that results in 3 substrings: 'A', 'B', and 'C'.

Because the `position` is 2, the function returns the 2nd substring which is 'B'.

Here is the output:

```text
 split_part
------------
 B
(1 row)
```

### 1) Using PostgreSQL SPLIT_PART() function with a position that does not exist

The following example returns an empty string because the position is greater than the number of parts (3):

```sql
SELECT SPLIT_PART('A,B,C', ',', 4) result;
```

Output:

```
 result
--------

(1 row)
```

### 3) Using the SPLIT_PART() function with table data

See the following `payment` table in the [sample database.](../postgresql-getting-started/postgresql-sample-database)

![payment table](https://neon.com/postgresqltutorial/payment-table.png)
The following statement uses the `SPLIT_PART()` function to return the year and month of the payment date:

```sql
SELECT
    split_part(payment_date::TEXT,'-', 1) y,
    split_part(payment_date::TEXT,'-', 2) m,
    amount
FROM
    payment;
```

Output:

```
  y   | m  | amount
------+----+--------
 2007 | 02 |   7.99
 2007 | 02 |   1.99
 2007 | 02 |   7.99
...
```

## Summary

- Use the PostgreSQL `SPLIT_PART()` function to retrieve a part of a string at a specified position after splitting.

---

## Related docs (String Functions)

- [ASCII](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/ascii)
- [CHR](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/chr)
- [CONCAT](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/concat-function)
- [CONCAT_WS](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/concat_ws)
- [FORMAT](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/format)
- [INITCAP](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/initcap)
- [LEFT](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/left)
- [LENGTH](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/length-function)
- [LOWER](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/lower)
- [LPAD](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/lpad)
- [LTRIM](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/ltrim)
- [MD5](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/md5)
- [POSITION](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/position)
- [REGEXP_MATCHES](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/regexp_matches)
- [REGEXP_REPLACE](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/regexp_replace)
- [REPEAT](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/repeat)
- [REVERSE](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/reverse)
- [REPLACE](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/replace)
- [RIGHT](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/right)
- [RPAD](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/rpad)
- [RTRIM](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/rtrim)
- [SUBSTRING](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/substring)
- [TO_CHAR](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/to_char)
- [TO_NUMBER](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/to_number)
- [TRANSLATE](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/translate)
- [TRIM](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/trim-function)
- [UPPER](https://neon.com/postgresql/string-functions/upper)