Convert Encoding of CSV Files Online
Detect and convert the character encoding of CSV files directly in your browser. Switch between UTF-8, Latin-1, Windows-1252, and more — no upload required.
Drop your .csv file here
or click to browse — max 50 MB
About this tool
Detect the character encoding of a CSV file and convert it to UTF-8. Fixes garbled characters caused by Windows-1252 or Latin-1 encoding being misread as UTF-8. The browser's built-in TextDecoder handles the conversion — no data leaves your device.
Frequently Asked Questions
What character encodings does the CSV encoding tool detect?
UTF-8 (with and without BOM), UTF-16LE, UTF-16BE, Windows-1252, and ISO-8859-1 (Latin-1). If auto-detection is wrong, you can manually select the correct source encoding.
Why do I see garbled characters in my CSV file?
Your file is likely encoded in Windows-1252 or Latin-1 but being read as UTF-8. Use this tool to detect the actual encoding and convert to UTF-8 for universal compatibility.
What encoding should I convert my CSV file to?
UTF-8. It is the universal standard supported by every modern tool, database, and programming language. This tool always outputs UTF-8.
Is my data private?
Yes — completely. Your file is never uploaded to any server. Everything runs locally in your browser using WebAssembly — processing happens entirely inside your tab. Once you close the tab, nothing is retained.
What is the maximum file size?
The free limit is 50 MB. For larger files, performance depends on your device's available memory — most modern machines handle 500 MB to 1 GB comfortably.
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