Transform fixed-width text into a well-structured CSV file.
About Fixed-Width to CSV
Positional files from banks, mainframes, government agencies and old ERPs have no delimiter: each field lives between fixed character positions. Spreadsheets cannot read them directly. This tool cuts every line at the column widths you specify, trims the padding spaces and produces a standard CSV with every value quoted.
Paste the text, enter the widths as a comma-separated list, name the output file and download the CSV. The slicing runs in the browser, so bank statements and payroll files stay on your machine.
How to use Fixed-Width to CSV step by step
Type the name of the CSV file to download.
Enter the column widths separated by commas, for example 10, 10, 10 for three columns of ten characters each.
Paste the fixed-width text into the text area.
Click "Convert and download CSV". Each line is sliced at the given positions, trimmed and quoted.
Input and output example
Input
Juan Pérez Madrid
Ana García Barcelona
(widths: 10, 10, 9)
100% free and online: no payments, no software or extensions to install.
Privacy-first: processing happens in your browser, your data never leaves your device.
No sign-up: paste your data and get the result in one click.
Fast and reliable: handle small or large files in seconds, ready for Excel and other tools.
Common use cases
Load a Norma 43 bank statement or a positional payroll file into Excel or Google Sheets.
Convert a COBOL or AS/400 report extract into CSV for a Python or Power BI pipeline.
Parse a fixed-column text log into a spreadsheet to filter and count events.
Migrate customer records from a legacy system that only exports positional text.
Limits and tips
The widths are applied to every line, including headers and separator lines of dashes; delete those lines first or drop the resulting rows in your spreadsheet.
Characters beyond the sum of the widths are ignored, and short lines simply produce empty trailing values.
All values are wrapped in double quotes and inner quotes are doubled, so the CSV is safe for values containing commas.
Widths are counted in characters, not bytes. If the source system counts bytes and your data has accents, the columns may drift by one position.
Frequently asked questions
How do I find the column widths?
Look at the file specification if there is one. Otherwise open the text in a monospaced editor, place the cursor at the start of each column and note the character position; the width of a column is the position of the next column minus its own. Header rows with aligned names make this easier.
What is the difference between fixed-width and delimited files?
Delimited files such as CSV mark column boundaries with a character (comma, semicolon, tab). Fixed-width files have no marker: columns are defined by their character positions and padded with spaces. Delimited files are compact and flexible; fixed-width files are predictable and common in banking and mainframe systems.
Why are all the values quoted in the CSV?
Quoting every value guarantees that names containing commas, quotes or other special characters stay in one column when the CSV is opened in Excel or read by a program. Spreadsheets remove the quotes automatically when displaying the data.
Can I convert a file with a header line?
Yes, as long as the header is aligned to the same widths as the data. Its names are then sliced into the first CSV row. Separator lines made of dashes should be removed beforehand.
Is the file uploaded?
No. The text is processed in your browser tab with JavaScript. The CSV is generated locally and never sent to a server.