Swapping rows and columns means turning a horizontal layout into a vertical one, or the reverse. Your headers run across the top and you want them down the side instead.
For a clean, rectangular block, Google Sheets already nails this. The interesting cases are the ones where a simple flip is not enough.
The Old Way (TRANSPOSE)
TRANSPOSE is the right tool for a pure swap. Point it at a range and it flips rows into columns in one step.
=TRANSPOSE(A1:D10)You can also select the range, copy it, then use Paste Special and Transposed for a one-off. Both are quick and free, so use them when the block is clean.
The gap appears when each cell holds several values that belong in separate rows. TRANSPOSE moves the cell as one lump. It will not split "red, blue, green" into three rows, so you are back to SPLIT and helper columns.
The FITS Way (Reshape, Not Just Flip)
FITS is for the reshaping cases TRANSPOSE cannot cover. Describe the target shape in plain English and it restructures the values.
=FITS("Take this comma-separated list and return each item on its own line: " & A2)It also helps when a single cell packs a whole record that you want turned into labeled fields down a column.
=FITS("Split this address into street, city, state, and zip on separate lines: " & A2)When to Use Each
For a clean block that only needs flipping, TRANSPOSE wins every time. It is instant and free. Bring in FITS when cells must be split, relabeled, or restructured as they move, the messy work TRANSPOSE leaves to you. It pairs well with splitting names into separate fields and normalizing inconsistent data. For the full catalog of reshaping jobs, read automating Google Sheets tasks you used to need regex for.
Reshape Data, Not Just Flip It
FITS restructures messy cells as they move across your sheet. Split, relabel, and reshape from one plain-English instruction. Free tier included.