CSV to JSON Converter

What is CSV?

CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is one of the most widely used data exchange formats. It stores tabular data in plain text, where each line represents a row and values within each row are separated by a delimiter—typically a comma.

CSV files are simple, human-readable, and supported by virtually every spreadsheet application including Microsoft Excel, Google Sheets, and LibreOffice Calc. They’re commonly used for data exports, imports, and transfers between different systems.

A typical CSV file looks like this:

name,age,city
John,30,New York
Jane,25,Los Angeles

What is JSON?

JSON (JavaScript Object Notation) is a lightweight, text-based data format that has become the standard for data exchange in web applications. It represents structured data as objects (key-value pairs) and arrays.

JSON is easy for both humans to read and machines to parse. It’s the native data format for JavaScript but is supported by virtually all programming languages through libraries and built-in functions.

The same data in JSON format looks like this:

[
  { "name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York" },
  { "name": "Jane", "age": 25, "city": "Los Angeles" }
]

Why Convert CSV to JSON?

There are many scenarios where converting CSV to JSON is necessary:

API Integration: Most modern web APIs expect and return JSON data. Converting your CSV exports to JSON makes them compatible with RESTful services.

Web Applications: JavaScript applications work natively with JSON. Converting CSV to JSON simplifies data handling in front-end applications.

Database Operations: Many NoSQL databases like MongoDB use JSON-like documents. Converting CSV data to JSON facilitates imports.

Configuration Files: Many applications use JSON for configuration. Bulk settings can be prepared in a spreadsheet and converted.

Data Processing: JSON’s nested structure can represent complex relationships that flat CSV files cannot.

How to Use This Tool

Step 1: Paste your CSV data into the input area, or drag and drop a CSV file directly onto the tool.

Step 2: Configure parsing settings if needed—select the correct delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab, or pipe), and toggle options like header row detection and whitespace trimming.

Step 3: Choose your JSON output format: Array of Objects (most common), Array of Arrays, or Minified.

Step 4: Click “Convert to JSON” to transform your data.

Step 5: Copy the result to your clipboard or download it as a JSON file.

CSV Parsing Options

Delimiters

Different regions and applications use different CSV delimiters:

• Comma (,): The standard delimiter in most English-speaking regions
• Semicolon (;): Common in European regions where comma is the decimal separator
• Tab (\t): Often called TSV (Tab-Separated Values)
• Pipe (|): Used when data contains commas or semicolons

This tool auto-detects common delimiters but allows you to specify one manually for accuracy.

Header Row

Most CSV files include a header row with column names. When enabled, the first row becomes the JSON property names. When disabled, the tool generates default column names like “column1”, “column2”, etc.

Quote Handling

Values containing the delimiter character, newlines, or quotes are typically enclosed in double quotes. This tool properly handles quoted fields, including escaped quotes (doubled quotes) within values.

JSON Output Formats

Array of Objects

The most common and useful format. Each CSV row becomes a JSON object with column headers as property names:

[
  { "name": "John", "age": 30, "city": "New York" },
  { "name": "Jane", "age": 25, "city": "Los Angeles" }
]

This format is ideal for most API integrations and data processing tasks.

Array of Arrays

A nested array structure where the first array contains headers and subsequent arrays contain row values:

[
  ["name", "age", "city"],
  ["John", 30, "New York"],
  ["Jane", 25, "Los Angeles"]
]

This format preserves column order and can be more compact for large datasets.

Minified

Same as Array of Objects but without formatting (no indentation or newlines). Useful for reducing file size when transmitting data:

[{"name":"John","age":30,"city":"New York"},{"name":"Jane","age":25,"city":"Los Angeles"}]

Type Detection

By default, this tool automatically detects and converts data types:

Numbers: Values that are valid numbers (integers or decimals) are converted to JSON number type instead of strings.

Booleans: Values “true” and “false” (case-insensitive) are converted to JSON boolean type.

You can disable these options in settings to keep all values as strings if your application requires consistent string types.

Common Use Cases

Spreadsheet to API

Export data from Excel or Google Sheets as CSV, then convert to JSON for use with REST APIs. This is common when building dashboards or populating applications with data.

Data Migration

When migrating from legacy systems that export CSV to modern applications that use JSON, this converter bridges the format gap.

Testing and Development

Developers often use sample data in CSV format (easy to create in spreadsheets) and convert it to JSON for testing APIs or seeding development databases.

Configuration Generation

Create configuration data in a spreadsheet, then convert to JSON for use in applications that read JSON config files.

Bidirectional Conversion

This tool also supports JSON to CSV conversion. Simply switch to “JSON → CSV” mode and paste a JSON array. The tool will:

1. Extract property names as column headers
2. Convert objects to rows
3. Handle nested values by stringifying them
4. Properly escape values containing delimiters or quotes

Best Practices

Validate your CSV: Ensure your CSV has consistent column counts across all rows. Missing values should be represented as empty strings.

Use consistent data types: Keep columns with consistent types (all numbers, all strings) for cleaner JSON output.

Choose meaningful headers: Column headers become JSON property names. Use clear, valid property names without special characters.

Handle special characters: If your data contains commas, quotes, or newlines within values, ensure they’re properly quoted in the CSV.

Privacy and Security

This converter runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your data is never uploaded to any server—all processing happens locally on your device. This makes it safe to use with sensitive data like personal information or business data.

Frequently Asked Questions

What’s the maximum file size I can convert?

Since processing happens in your browser, the limit depends on your device’s memory. Most devices can handle files up to several megabytes without issues.

Can I convert CSV with multi-line cell values?

Yes. Multi-line values should be enclosed in quotes in the CSV. The parser correctly handles newlines within quoted fields.

How do I convert Excel files?

First export your Excel file as CSV (File → Save As → CSV), then paste or upload the CSV to this tool.

Why are my numbers being quoted in JSON?

If numbers appear as strings, check that “Detect numbers” is enabled in settings. Also ensure your numbers don’t have non-numeric characters like currency symbols.

Can I preserve the order of columns?

Yes. The “Array of Arrays” output format preserves column order exactly as it appears in your CSV.

Start Converting

Use the tool above to convert your CSV data to JSON. With customizable settings and instant results, you can transform your data in seconds.