What is a comma separator?

A comma separator places the comma symbol (,) between list items. For example, three lines containing red, green and blue become red, green, blue. It separates items rather than adding thousands separators inside a number.

How do I turn a column or new lines into a comma separated list?

Paste one item per line into Your list. New line is the default input separator. Plain mode joins the items with Comma and space by default; choose Comma for no added spaces. Items keep their order, and duplicates remain. Copy or Download .txt gives you the result.

Can I turn a comma separated list into a column?

Yes, for a simple list without quoted CSV fields. In Plain mode, select Comma under Items are separated by and New line under Separator between items. Turn trimming on to remove spaces around the items. Input splitting treats every comma as a separator, including commas inside quotes, so it is not a CSV reader.

What is the difference between Plain mode and CSV mode?

Plain mode joins text using your chosen separator. CSV mode writes one comma-separated record using RFC 4180 field quoting: fields containing a comma, double quote or line break are wrapped in double quotes, and inner double quotes are doubled. CSV selects Comma and disables other output separators and the added trailing separator. It writes CSV output but does not parse quoted CSV input.

What happens to an item that already contains a comma or a quote?

Use one item per line as input and choose CSV output to preserve commas and double quotes inside those items. Smith, John followed by Jane on a new line becomes "Smith, John",Jane. Plain mode keeps the original characters inside each item and does not escape them.

Can I put single or double quotes around every item?

Yes. Choose Single or Double under Quote each item in Plain mode. The tool wraps each item but does not escape embedded quotes for SQL or another programming language. In CSV mode, Double quotes every field; No quotes still quotes fields that need escaping. Single is refused because CSV fields use double quotes.

Can I use semicolons, tabs or a custom separator?

Use Plain mode for custom output, including semicolons, tabs, new lines or no separator. For custom input or output, type \n for a line break, \t for a tab, or the literal separator. CSV output always uses commas. A semicolon-separated result is a different delimiter format, so the destination must be configured to read semicolons.

What happens to blank items and the trailing comma?

Drop blanks removes empty and whitespace-only items. Keep blanks preserves each item, including the empty one after a final input line break. Plain mode adds no trailing separator unless you turn Separator after the last item on. CSV keeps that checkbox off; a preserved final empty field can still make a record end in a comma. Trimming is optional and off by default.

Does this change Excel settings or number formatting?

It joins text pasted from a spreadsheet column. It does not change spreadsheet formula separators, decimal symbols or number formats, and it does not turn 1000 into 1,000. Those are separate spreadsheet or number-formatting tasks.

How long a list can it take?

One pass joins up to 100,000 items and one million Unicode code points of output. The input limit is 2,000,000 UTF-16 code units, so an emoji can use two units. Oversized lists are refused with a message rather than cut short. Quotes and separators count toward the output limit.

Is it free, and is my list uploaded?

The tool needs no account or payment. The split and join run in your browser, and the list text is not uploaded. It remembers drafts and settings in this browser when storage is available. Input longer than 20,000 UTF-16 code units is not saved. Once a draft is saved, Start over appears above the tool and clears it.

Can I save the joined output, and why is a long preview shortened?

Copy uses the clipboard; Download .txt saves Plain output and Download .csv saves CSV output through your browser. A preview longer than 50,000 Unicode code points shows only the first 50,000, with the full count underneath. Copy and Download still use the complete output. If clipboard access is blocked, use Download or select the preview text.

Does CSV quoting make untrusted text safe for a spreadsheet?

No. CSV quoting preserves field boundaries; it does not neutralize text that a spreadsheet may interpret as a formula. Import untrusted values as text and check the destination settings before opening them.

Comma Separator

Paste one item per line to create a comma separated list. Plain mode offers commas, spaces, tabs, semicolons and custom separators, with optional single or double quotes. CSV mode uses commas and RFC 4180 field quoting, so embedded commas and double quotes stay inside their fields. Choose whether to keep blank items and trim surrounding whitespace, then copy the result or download TXT or CSV. You can also turn a simple comma separated list into a column by choosing Comma for input and New line for output in Plain mode.

Your listone item per line

The joined list appears here as soon as there is something to join in the Your list box.

Items

Waiting

Characters

Waiting

Mode

Plain join

Separator

Comma and space

Paste your list into the Your list box, one item per line, and the joined line appears in the Joined pane. It is joined in this tab and nothing is uploaded.

How the list is read

Items are split on the character you choose, exactly as typed: nothing is trimmed, sorted or deduplicated on the way in. A blank item is an empty one or one holding only spaces, and the policy below decides what happens to it.

How the list is read

Items are separated by

A new line covers a list pasted out of a spreadsheet or a text file.

Custom input separatorType \n for a line break and \t for a tab. Typing here switches to Custom.

Blank items

Drop leaves empty lines out. Keep counts each one as an empty item.

How it is joined

Plain joins the items exactly as they are. CSV writes comma-separated fields by the RFC 4180 rule, so an item holding a comma, a double quote or a line break is wrapped in double quotes and its own quotes are doubled.

How the list is joined

Output mode

CSV mode quotes and escapes. Plain mode changes nothing inside an item.

Separator between items

CSV uses commas without an added trailing separator. Switch to Plain for other separators.

Custom output separatorType \n for a line break and \t for a tab. Typing here switches to Custom.

Quote each item

In CSV mode, Double quotes every field and No quotes quotes only the fields that need it.

Ends and spacesSeparator after the last itemTrim the spaces around each itemBoth are off to start, so the joined line is exactly what you typed.

Worked examples

Lines into a comma listPlain mode, comma and space between the items
red, green, blue
A quoted list for a queryPlain mode, each item wrapped in single quotes
'apple', 'banana', 'cherry'
A name that contains a commaCSV mode wraps the field so the comma stays inside it
"Smith, John","Doe, Jane",Prince
An item that contains a quoteCSV mode doubles the inner quotes and wraps the field
"he said ""yes""",no comment

The list and the settings are remembered in this browser alone, so they are still here when you come back. Once a draft is saved, Start over appears above the tool and forgets it. A list longer than 20,000 characters is joined in full but is not written to storage. One pass joins up to 100,000 items and 1,000,000 characters of output.

Accuracy. Exact. In CSV mode the output follows RFC 4180: an item holding a comma, a quote or a line break is wrapped in double quotes and its own quotes are doubled. Plain mode joins exactly what you typed and adds no trailing separator unless you ask for one.

Common questions

What is a comma separator?: A comma separator places the comma symbol (,) between list items. For example, three lines containing red, green and blue become red, green, blue. It separates items rather than adding thousands separators inside a number.
How do I turn a column or new lines into a comma separated list?: Paste one item per line into Your list. New line is the default input separator. Plain mode joins the items with Comma and space by default; choose Comma for no added spaces. Items keep their order, and duplicates remain. Copy or Download .txt gives you the result.
Can I turn a comma separated list into a column?: Yes, for a simple list without quoted CSV fields. In Plain mode, select Comma under Items are separated by and New line under Separator between items. Turn trimming on to remove spaces around the items. Input splitting treats every comma as a separator, including commas inside quotes, so it is not a CSV reader.
What is the difference between Plain mode and CSV mode?: Plain mode joins text using your chosen separator. CSV mode writes one comma-separated record using RFC 4180 field quoting: fields containing a comma, double quote or line break are wrapped in double quotes, and inner double quotes are doubled. CSV selects Comma and disables other output separators and the added trailing separator. It writes CSV output but does not parse quoted CSV input.
What happens to an item that already contains a comma or a quote?: Use one item per line as input and choose CSV output to preserve commas and double quotes inside those items. Smith, John followed by Jane on a new line becomes "Smith, John",Jane. Plain mode keeps the original characters inside each item and does not escape them.
Can I put single or double quotes around every item?: Yes. Choose Single or Double under Quote each item in Plain mode. The tool wraps each item but does not escape embedded quotes for SQL or another programming language. In CSV mode, Double quotes every field; No quotes still quotes fields that need escaping. Single is refused because CSV fields use double quotes.
Can I use semicolons, tabs or a custom separator?: Use Plain mode for custom output, including semicolons, tabs, new lines or no separator. For custom input or output, type \n for a line break, \t for a tab, or the literal separator. CSV output always uses commas. A semicolon-separated result is a different delimiter format, so the destination must be configured to read semicolons.
What happens to blank items and the trailing comma?: Drop blanks removes empty and whitespace-only items. Keep blanks preserves each item, including the empty one after a final input line break. Plain mode adds no trailing separator unless you turn Separator after the last item on. CSV keeps that checkbox off; a preserved final empty field can still make a record end in a comma. Trimming is optional and off by default.
Does this change Excel settings or number formatting?: It joins text pasted from a spreadsheet column. It does not change spreadsheet formula separators, decimal symbols or number formats, and it does not turn 1000 into 1,000. Those are separate spreadsheet or number-formatting tasks.
How long a list can it take?: One pass joins up to 100,000 items and one million Unicode code points of output. The input limit is 2,000,000 UTF-16 code units, so an emoji can use two units. Oversized lists are refused with a message rather than cut short. Quotes and separators count toward the output limit.
Is it free, and is my list uploaded?: The tool needs no account or payment. The split and join run in your browser, and the list text is not uploaded. It remembers drafts and settings in this browser when storage is available. Input longer than 20,000 UTF-16 code units is not saved. Once a draft is saved, Start over appears above the tool and clears it.
Can I save the joined output, and why is a long preview shortened?: Copy uses the clipboard; Download .txt saves Plain output and Download .csv saves CSV output through your browser. A preview longer than 50,000 Unicode code points shows only the first 50,000, with the full count underneath. Copy and Download still use the complete output. If clipboard access is blocked, use Download or select the preview text.
Does CSV quoting make untrusted text safe for a spreadsheet?: No. CSV quoting preserves field boundaries; it does not neutralize text that a spreadsheet may interpret as a formula. Import untrusted values as text and check the destination settings before opening them.

Exact. In CSV mode the output follows RFC 4180: an item holding a comma, a quote or a line break is wrapped in double quotes and its own quotes are doubled. Plain mode joins exactly what you typed and adds no trailing separator unless you ask for one.