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CSV Escape Tool

Escape or unescape values for CSV, JSON, XML, and SQL so special characters stay safe.

100% Secure - your files are processed in your browser and never sent to a server.
Drop your file hereor click to browseSupports CSV, TSV, or TXT files (.csv, .tsv, .txt) (Max 100MB)

CSV escaping ensures that special characters in data values do not break the structure of CSV, JSON, XML, or SQL output. This tool escapes (or unescapes) text for four target formats: CSV, JSON, XML, and SQL. For CSV, it wraps fields containing commas, quotes, or line breaks in double quotes and escapes internal quotes. For JSON, it escapes backslashes, quotes, and control characters. For XML, it converts < > & to their entity equivalents. For SQL, it escapes single quotes and backslashes. The tool processes text line by line or field by field, outputting the escaped version ready for safe embedding in the target format. All processing happens in your browser, which is useful when escaping data before import into databases, API payloads, or XML documents.

How to use the Escape Tool tool

  1. Load your text: Drag and drop a text file, choose a file from your file explorer, or paste text directly into the paste area.
  2. Choose operation: Select Escape Special Characters to encode values, or Unescape Characters to decode them.
  3. Select format: Choose the target syntax: CSV (double quotes/wrapping), JSON Strings, XML Entities, or SQL Literals.
  4. Process and export: Click the "Escape Text" button, then copy or download the escaped or unescaped result.

Frequently asked questions

What target formats are supported for escaping?
Four formats: CSV (RFC 4180 quoting), JSON (backslash escaping), XML (entity escaping for < > &), and SQL (single-quote escaping).
Can I unescape previously escaped text?
Yes. The tool has an unescape mode that reverses the escaping for each format, restoring the original text.
Does CSV escaping handle embedded line breaks?
Yes. Fields containing line breaks are wrapped in double quotes, and the line breaks are preserved within the quoted field per RFC 4180.
Is the escaped output safe for database import?
Yes. SQL escaping produces text that can be safely inserted into SQL string literals without causing injection errors or syntax issues.
Can I escape an entire CSV file at once?
The tool processes text input line by line. For full CSV file escaping, paste the content and select CSV as the target format.

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