To convert a TXT file to CSV, first check whether the text already has rows and a consistent delimiter such as a comma, semicolon, or tab. If it does, import the .txt file into Datablist, check the detected columns in the preview, then export as CSV. A text document with paragraphs but no consistent fields needs to be structured into columns first.
Datablist's CSV editor accepts .txt files. The export lets you choose a comma or semicolon delimiter and uses UTF-8 encoding.
💡 TXT import and CSV export are available on the Free plan. Check the import allowance shown in the app for your file and account, or compare the current plans before loading a large list.
Example: semicolon-separated TXT to comma-separated CSV
This illustrative TXT file contains three columns and two records:
Company;Contact ID;City
Acme, Inc.;00123;Montréal
Studio 54;00456;MünchenSelect a semicolon as the input delimiter and keep Contact ID as a Text property. After exporting with a comma delimiter, the CSV should contain:
Company,Contact ID,City
"Acme, Inc.",00123,Montréal
Studio 54,00456,MünchenThe comma in Acme, Inc. now sits inside quotes so the company stays in one field. The identifiers keep their leading zeros, and the accented city names remain readable. Renaming the TXT file would not perform this delimiter conversion.
Can I just rename my file to .CSV?
The CSV format stores records as text fields separated by a delimiter, usually a comma. A quoted field can contain a line break, so a record does not always occupy exactly one physical line.
When your TXT file already contains comma-separated records with correctly quoted fields, changing the file extension to .csv may be enough. Renaming does not change the delimiter, repair malformed rows, or convert the encoding.
You can open your TXT file with a text editor, go on the "File" menu and choose "Save as". Select .csv as the new file extension.
Or you just open the context menu in your File Explorer and use "Rename" to change the file extension to .csv.
If your file uses another field delimiter or needs UTF-8 encoding, follow the import and export steps below.
Step 1: Import your TXT file into Datablist
Start by creating a collection that will hold your file data. Click on the "+" button in the sidebar, following with the "Import CSV/Excel" button. Or directly from the home page using the shortcut "Start with a CSV/Excel file".
TXT files are one of many flat files format allowed to be loaded into Datablist. Click the upload zone to select a file from your computer, or drag and drop your file into the zone.
Datablist parses the text file and suggests headers, a delimiter, and an encoding. Compare the preview with the original file: each expected field should have its own column, and accented characters should be readable. If the columns are wrong, change the delimiter or encoding before continuing. Then click Continue to properties.
Plain text files store every field as a text field. Datablist will scan the first rows to detect what type of data is stored in each column. Text, Numbers, Dates, Emails, Urls, etc. are detected (see the full list here). This analysis is important for filtering your data later on. When sorting your collection, having Dates and Numbers defined will change their order. If a data type is wrong, click on it to select a different one.
Keep account numbers, postal codes, and other identifiers as Text when their exact characters matter. A value such as 00123 can lose its leading zeros if you import it as a number. Check this before confirming the import; exporting later cannot restore zeros that were already removed.
In this step, you can also select the columns you don't want to import.
Click "Continue". A preview step will be shown. Then click "Import {x} items" to finalize your import.
Step 2: Export your data as a valid CSV file
Your TXT file is now loaded into a collection. You can filter, edit or deduplicate your data before exporting it.
Click on the "Export" button to open the export modal.
Two export formats are available: CSV and Excel. For the CSV format, you can select the delimiter between "Comma" and "Semicolon". The CSV encoding is UTF-8, an international standard well supported by most applications.
Check the downloaded CSV
Open the file in a text editor to inspect the raw values, then test an import into the receiving application. Confirm the header order, number of records, quoted values, identifiers, and accented characters. If a spreadsheet displays 00123 as 123, import that column as text there too: CSV does not store a column's data type.
What if the TXT file has fixed-width columns or paragraphs?
A fixed-width export separates fields by character positions rather than a delimiter. Repeated spaces may be padding, while single spaces can belong inside names or addresses. Do not replace every space with a comma. Split the fields using the source system's documented column widths, or request a delimited export before following this workflow.
For prose, logs, or inconsistent rows, first decide what one record and each column should contain. A file extension change cannot turn that unstructured text into a reliable table.
FAQ
What is the maximum number of TXT rows I can import?
Use the allowance shown in the import screen for your account and current plan. Imported records may differ from physical text lines when a quoted CSV field contains a line break. Browser memory and the number of columns can also affect a large import.
Can I convert a TXT file to Excel format?
Yes. Both CSV and Excel formats are available for exporting your data.
Does it work on any platform?
Datablist requires a modern browser. We recommend Google Chrome, Firefox, Opera, Safari, or Edge. Microsoft Internet Explorer is not supported.
How long does it take to convert a TXT file?
Timing depends on file size, column count, and your browser and device. Try a representative sample first, then allow time to check the full import and downloaded CSV. See the large-file workflow if your usual spreadsheet cannot handle the file.