About the Comma Separator Tool
Copying a column from a spreadsheet gives you one item per line, but SQL queries, code arrays, email fields and form inputs usually want everything on one line with commas between the items. This tool does that conversion instantly, and also works in reverse, splitting a comma-separated list into one item per line. You can choose the separator, put single or double quotes around each item, wrap the list in brackets, trim stray spaces, skip empty items and remove duplicates, so a pasted column becomes ready-to-use text such as 'a', 'b', 'c' with one click.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Comma Separator Tool
- 1Choose Lines to one line, or One line to lines.
- 2Paste your list into the left box.
- 3Pick the separator, and optional quotes and brackets.
- 4Switch the tidy-up options on or off.
- 5Copy the result.
Common uses
- SQL: build IN ('a', 'b') lists from a spreadsheet column.
- Code: turn a list into an array like ['a', 'b', 'c'].
- Email: join addresses with commas or semicolons for a To field.
- Tags and keywords: combine words for a CMS or upload form.
- Reverse: split a pasted CSV row into a vertical list.
Choosing a separator
A comma and a space gives the most readable lists. A bare comma is more compact and often expected by code. Semicolons suit email clients in some regions, pipes are handy when items contain commas, and tabs paste neatly into spreadsheets as a row. Use the custom option for arrows, slashes or any other joiner.
If you need to remember how a list was joined, keep the original lines. The tool does not change your source text.
Here is a short example. Pasting the lines red, green and blue with single quotes and square brackets selected gives ['red', 'green', 'blue'], which is valid in most programming languages. Choosing round brackets and no quotes on a list of numbers gives (1, 2, 3), the form SQL uses for IN. Going back, pasting 'red', 'green', 'blue' in the split mode returns three clean lines with the quotes removed, which is useful when you receive data in code form and want to put it into a spreadsheet.
Tidy-ups before you join
Clean data gives cleaner lists. Use the Remove Duplicate Lines tool to deduplicate and the Sort Lines tool to put items in order before you join them. The Add Prefix and Suffix to Lines tool wraps each line in text, and the CSV Tools handle full spreadsheets. For case changes see the Case Converter.
Features
- Lines to one line and back
- Comma, semicolon, pipe, tab, space or your own separator
- Single or double quotes around items
- Square, round or curly brackets
- Trim, skip blanks, remove duplicates
- Handles quoted items that contain commas
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert a column to a comma-separated list?
Copy the column from your spreadsheet, paste it into the left box and the tool joins the lines with commas straight away. Choose a comma with or without a space after it, and copy the result.
How do I put quotes around each item?
Pick single or double quotes under 'Put quotes around items'. Each line becomes 'item' or "item", which is the format needed for SQL IN lists and many programming languages. Quote marks inside an item are escaped with a backslash.
Can I use it for an SQL IN clause?
Yes. Paste your values, choose single quotes and round brackets, and you get ('a', 'b', 'c') ready to paste after IN. For numbers, leave the quotes off. Always check the values for special characters before running a query.
How do I split a comma-separated list into rows?
Switch to One line to lines, paste the text and the tool puts each item on its own line. Items in quotes that contain commas stay together, so "Smith, John" remains a single item.
What about empty lines and duplicates?
Skip empty items is on by default so blank lines do not create stray commas. Switch on Remove duplicates to keep only the first copy of each item, which is useful for mailing lists and tags.
Is there a limit on the list size?
There is no fixed limit, since the work happens in your browser. Very large lists with hundreds of thousands of lines may feel slow on a phone, so use a computer for those.