JSON Formatter
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CSV to JSON Converter
Converting spreadsheet exports, database dumps, or log files from CSV to JSON is a common task for developers and data engineers. This free tool parses your CSV data in the browser with full RFC 4180 support, handles quoted fields and custom delimiters, and produces clean, ready-to-use JSON output.
How to Use This Tool
- Paste your CSV data into the text area above. You can paste exports from spreadsheets, database query results, or any comma-separated data.
- Choose the delimiter that matches your data. The default is comma, but you can switch to tab, semicolon, or pipe if your file uses a different separator.
- Set the header option — check "First row is header" if your first row contains column names. This produces an array of objects with named keys. Uncheck it to get an array of arrays.
- Click Convert to parse the CSV and generate formatted JSON output. The status bar will confirm success or show any parsing errors.
- Copy the result — click "Copy" to copy the JSON to your clipboard, ready to use in your code, API requests, or configuration files.
What Is CSV?
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is one of the oldest and most widely used formats for exchanging tabular data. Each line in a CSV file represents a row of data, with individual values separated by a delimiter character, most commonly a comma. Despite its simplicity, CSV remains the default export format for spreadsheets, databases, and analytics platforms because virtually every tool can read and write it.
The RFC 4180 specification defines the rules for handling edge cases in CSV data. Fields that contain the delimiter, newline characters, or double quotes must be enclosed in double quotes. A literal double quote within a quoted field is represented by two consecutive double quotes. These rules ensure that complex data with special characters can be reliably exchanged between systems without ambiguity.
Converting CSV to JSON is a common step when moving data from spreadsheets or legacy systems into modern web applications and APIs that expect structured JSON. JSON's ability to represent nested objects, typed values (numbers, booleans, null), and named keys makes it more expressive than flat CSV. This converter bridges the gap by automatically detecting data types and mapping CSV columns to JSON properties.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is CSV format?
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a plain-text format that stores tabular data where each line represents a row and values within a row are separated by a delimiter, most commonly a comma. Fields containing the delimiter, newlines, or double quotes must be enclosed in double quotes per the RFC 4180 specification.
What is the difference between array of arrays and array of objects output?
When "First row is header" is checked, the converter uses the first row as property names and produces an array of objects like [{"name":"Alice","age":30}]. When unchecked, every row including the first is treated as data and the output is an array of arrays like [["name","age"],["Alice",30]].
Does this tool handle quoted fields and newlines inside fields?
Yes. The parser is RFC 4180 compliant and correctly handles fields enclosed in double quotes, including fields that contain the delimiter character, newline characters, or escaped double quotes (represented as two consecutive double quotes within a quoted field).
What delimiters are supported?
The tool supports four common delimiters: comma (the CSV default), tab (for TSV files), semicolon (common in European locales where the comma is used as a decimal separator), and pipe. Select the appropriate delimiter from the options dropdown before converting.
Does the tool auto-detect data types?
Yes. The converter automatically detects numeric values (integers and decimals) and boolean values (true/false) in your CSV data and represents them as their native JSON types instead of strings. Empty fields are converted to null. This produces cleaner, more usable JSON output.