List to Comma Separated

List to Comma Separated — Convert a line-by-line list to comma-separated values (CSV), semicolons, pipes, or any custom delimiter. Add quotes, trim whitespace. Free — no signup required.

Delimiter:

Quotes:

0Items

1Removed

0Out chars

, Delimiter

Input — one item per line

Output

Input

Output

Trim whitespaceRemove empty lines

How to convert a list to comma-separated values

Paste your list into the input box — one item per line.
Choose a delimiter from the toolbar: comma, semicolon, pipe, tab, space, or custom.
Set quote style if needed — single quotes, double quotes, or none.
Copy the output and paste it wherever you need it.

Common use cases

SQL IN clauses

Select double quotes and comma + space delimiter to produce a list ready for a SQL WHERE IN clause:

WHERE name IN ("apple", "banana", "cherry")

Spreadsheet formulas

Comma-separated lists paste directly into Excel or Google Sheets cells separated across columns when using the paste-special split option. Semicolons work for European locale spreadsheets.

Code arrays

Generate array contents for any language. Add double quotes and a comma + space delimiter, then wrap in brackets: ["apple", "banana", "cherry"].

Email and form fields

Many email platforms and form tools accept comma-separated lists for multiple recipients or tag values. Use the comma + space delimiter for clean, readable output.

Which delimiter should you use?

Delimiter	Best for
, (comma + space)	SQL, readable CSV, most general-purpose use
, (comma only)	Compact CSV, data imports without extra spaces
; (semicolon)	European locale CSV, Excel in non-English regions
\| (pipe)	Log files, systems where commas appear in values
Tab	TSV files, Excel paste, clipboard-separated data
Space	Command-line arguments, bash arrays
Custom	Any system with a unique separator requirement

Need to go the other direction? Split a delimited string back into a list with the Split List tool. If you need to combine two cleaned columns before formatting them as CSV, use Merge Lists first.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is a comma-separated list?

A comma-separated list, often called CSV or comma-separated values, is a sequence of items joined by commas on a single line. For example, apple, banana, cherry is much easier to paste into spreadsheets, databases, and code than three separate lines. It is a common interchange format because it is compact, readable, and widely supported by apps that import lists or tabular data.

How do I convert a list to CSV?

Paste your list with one item per line, then choose the delimiter you want for the final output. The tool joins the lines, trims surrounding whitespace, and removes empty lines so you can copy a clean result immediately. If you are preparing data for a spreadsheet import, this is usually the fastest way to turn a rough outline into a format other tools accept.

Can I add quotes around each item?

Yes. You can wrap each item in single or double quotes, which is useful when values contain spaces, commas, or characters that need escaping in another system. For example, "apple", "banana", and "cherry" are easier to reuse in SQL IN clauses, CSV exports, and other workflows that expect explicit string values instead of plain text.

What delimiters are supported?

You can format output with a comma, comma plus space, semicolon, pipe, space, tab, newline, or any custom delimiter you define. That flexibility makes the tool useful for spreadsheet imports, SQL snippets, plain text notes, and vendor systems that each expect slightly different separators. If you switch between formats often, custom delimiters let you match the target system without manually editing every item.

How do I convert a list to a SQL IN clause?

Choose single or double quotes depending on your SQL dialect, keep the comma delimiter, and wrap the final list in parentheses after copying it. The result can be dropped straight into an IN clause, such as SELECT * FROM table WHERE name IN ("apple", "banana", "cherry"). That saves time when you are comparing, filtering, or updating many values at once.

How do I keep commas inside one item?

Wrap any item that already contains a comma in quotes, then use the same quote style for the rest of the list if you want consistent CSV output. For example, New York, NY becomes "New York, NY". That keeps spreadsheet imports, SQL statements, and CSV parsers from splitting the value into two fields.

What happens to empty lines and extra spaces?

If you enable trimming and empty-line removal, the tool strips leading and trailing spaces and ignores blank rows before joining your items. That keeps pasted data clean when you move from docs, emails, or notes into spreadsheets, SQL snippets, or other bulk copy-paste workflows, and it reduces the chance of stray whitespace causing import mismatches or ugly output.

Will the tool keep my list order and duplicates?

Yes. The tool keeps the order of your input lines as long as you paste them in the order you want preserved. It does not deduplicate items for you, so repeated values stay repeated in the output. If you want to remove duplicates first, run your text through a duplicate line remover before converting the list.