How to use CSV to JSON Converter
To convert CSV to JSON, paste your CSV data into the Input panel — including the header row. Click Convert, and the tool uses the first row as property names and maps each subsequent row into a JSON object. The result is a JSON array where each element corresponds to one CSV row. Click Copy to grab the output or Download JSON to save it as a .json file.
The converter auto-detects whether your data uses commas, semicolons, or tabs as the delimiter, so most standard CSV files work without configuration. Quoted fields (cells that contain commas or newlines wrapped in double quotes) are handled correctly and unwrapped automatically. If a cell's value looks like a number or boolean, you can enable type inference to have the converter cast it to the appropriate JSON type — otherwise all values are treated as strings.
Why use our CSV to JSON Converter?
- Auto-detects comma, semicolon, and tab delimiters — most CSV files work without configuration
- Correctly unwraps quoted fields, even those containing commas or newlines
- Optional type inference — numbers and booleans can be cast to their native JSON types
- One-click JSON download as a .json file
- 100% browser-based — your CSV data never leaves your device
- Download the result as a .json file ready to import into any application
Frequently Asked Questions
Does the first row have to be a header?
Yes, the converter assumes the first row contains column headers and uses those values as the JSON property names. If your CSV has no header row, the resulting JSON will use the first data row as keys — which produces incorrect output. In that case, manually add a header row before converting: open your CSV in a text editor, type a row of descriptive names separated by commas, and paste the updated content into the tool.
How does the tool handle quoted fields with commas or newlines inside them?
The converter follows RFC 4180, the CSV standard. Fields that contain commas, double quotes, or newlines are expected to be surrounded by double quotes in the source data (e.g., "Smith, John"). Embedded double quotes are escaped by doubling them (e.g., "He said ""hello"""). The tool correctly unwraps these quoted fields and unescapes the embedded quotes, so the JSON output contains the clean string value without the surrounding quotes.
Source: RFC 4180 — Common Format and MIME Type for CSV Files
What JSON output format does the converter produce?
The output is a JSON array of objects, where each object represents one CSV row. The keys are the column header names (from the first CSV row), and the values are the cell contents (as strings by default, or as their native types if type inference is enabled). For example, a CSV with headers name,age and rows Alice,30 and Bob,25 produces [{"name":"Alice","age":"30"},{"name":"Bob","age":"25"}] (or with type inference: age would be the number 30, not the string "30").
Can I convert Excel files directly?
Not directly — the tool converts CSV text, not binary .xlsx files. To convert an Excel spreadsheet: open it in Excel or Google Sheets, go to File → Save As (Excel) or File → Download → CSV (Google Sheets), choose CSV format, and save. Then paste the resulting CSV text into this tool. Excel's CSV export uses commas as delimiters and correctly quotes fields that contain commas or special characters.