Text tool
Text Join & Split Tool
Convert between line-based lists and delimited strings, with support for custom delimiters like commas, tabs, and pipes.
Output
How join and split modes work
The operation dropdown selects between Join lines and Split text. Join mode takes each line in your text and combines them into a single line, inserting the delimiter between each item. The default delimiter is a comma followed by a space (', '), but any string is accepted, including tabs, pipes, semicolons, or custom multi-character separators. Split mode does the reverse: it finds every occurrence of the delimiter in the text and replaces it with a line break, spreading the items across multiple lines.
The delimiter is matched as literal text, not a pattern, so the string 'foo|bar' searches for the exact sequence 'foo|bar', not a pipe separating foo and bar. When Join is active and the delimiter field is empty, no character is inserted between items, creating a concatenated string. When Split is active and the delimiter field is empty, the text is returned unchanged because there is nothing to split on. The output area shows the result of the transformation, and a copy button lets you take the output to your clipboard.
Joining lines into a comma-separated list
- Input (five lines): Apple, Banana, Cherry, Date, Elderberry
- Join mode with comma-space delimiter: "Apple, Banana, Cherry, Date, Elderberry" (single line)
- Join mode with pipe delimiter |: "Apple|Banana|Cherry|Date|Elderberry"
- Join mode with tab delimiter: "Apple\tBanana\tCherry\tDate\tElderberry" (tab-separated, spreadsheet-ready)
- Join mode with empty delimiter: "AppleBananaCherryDateElderberry" (concatenated with no spacing)
Splitting delimited text and preparing data for CSV
A common workflow is copying a comma-separated list from a web page or document and converting it to one item per line for easier reading, editing, or import into a form. Paste the delimited text, set split mode with the comma-space delimiter, and each item becomes a separate line. This is especially useful if the items are long (such as email addresses or product codes) and difficult to scan on a single line.
For CSV data, splitting on commas works if the commas are not part of the data itself. If your source has commas within quoted fields (like "Smith, John" as a single field), splitting on commas will break those fields. In such cases, use a different delimiter (like a pipe or tab) if available, or manually extract and split the data using a spreadsheet application instead. Conversely, joining lines with a specific delimiter is useful to convert form input, one-item-per-line lists, or database records into a delimited format ready for import elsewhere.
Common join and split scenarios
- Converting a contact list: join with semicolons to produce an inline list suitable for email CC or BCC fields, since some email clients parse semicolon-separated addresses.
- Parsing server-side logs: split multi-line log entries on a unique delimiter (like 'ERROR:') to separate each error into its own line for easier searching.
- Creating inline keyword lists: join SEO keywords with commas and spaces to produce a single-line keyword string for meta tags or configuration files.
- Unpacking compressed data: split text that was joined with a rare delimiter (like '::') to recover individual records or entries.
- Bulk data formatting: join lines with pipes for pipe-separated-values (PSV) format, used in some data pipelines alongside CSV.
Frequently asked questions
What happens if I split with an empty delimiter?
If the delimiter field is empty in split mode, the text is returned unchanged. There is nothing to split on, so no transformation occurs.
Can I join lines without any delimiter between them?
Yes. Leave the delimiter field empty in join mode to produce a single concatenated string with no spaces or characters between items.
Is the delimiter a regular expression or literal text?
The delimiter is treated as literal text. If your delimiter contains special characters like ., *, or ?, they are matched exactly, not interpreted as regex patterns.
How do I convert a CSV with commas inside quoted fields?
This tool does not parse CSV rules, so quoted fields are not protected. Use a spreadsheet application or a proper CSV parser if your data has commas within fields. Alternatively, choose a different delimiter if the source supports it.
Can I join lines with multiple different delimiters?
No. Each operation uses a single delimiter. If you need multiple delimiters, perform multiple operations or use a text editor with find-and-replace.
What if the delimiter string appears within the items themselves?
Split will divide at every occurrence of the delimiter, even if it appears within what you consider a single item. If your data has delimiters inside values, use a different or longer delimiter, or escape the internal occurrences before splitting.