How to align text columns
Paste rows with a delimiter, then select the matching Delimiter and alignment. Align Text Columns recalculates the output as you change the input or options. Spaces pads cells to shared widths; Tabs joins cells with tab characters.
Format delimited data into columns
- Paste rows into the input area or choose Upload to load a text file.
- Choose Delimiter: Comma (,), Tab, Pipe (|), Semicolon (;), Space(s), or Custom.
- Choose Left, Right, Center, or Auto (numeric) alignment.
- Choose Spaces or Tabs for the output, then set Column gap when Spaces is selected.
- Select Copy or Download below the result when you need the formatted text elsewhere.
Custom delimiter accepts up to five characters. If that field is empty, the parser uses a comma. Column gap accepts values from 1 to 20 and is hidden when Tabs is selected.
Use headers and numeric alignment
Enable First row is header when the first row contains labels such as Name, Age, and City. With Auto (numeric), the first non-empty row is excluded from numeric checks, but it still sets the column widths. A column is right-aligned only when every checked body value is numeric; other columns remain left-aligned.
When Spaces is selected, Add separator row under header adds a row of hyphens after the header. Trim whitespace in cells removes leading and trailing whitespace before widths and alignment are calculated.
Name,Age,City
Alice,30,Berlin
Robert,7,New York
Name Age City
Alice 30 Berlin
Robert 7 New YorkHandle short rows, blank lines, and quotes
The longest row determines the number of columns. Shorter rows get empty cells to fill that count. In Spaces output, cells are padded to shared widths; Tabs output joins each row with tab characters and does not add padding spaces. Empty lines remain empty when other rows contain text. Empty or whitespace-only input produces no output.
Each line is split directly on the selected delimiter. The parser does not interpret CSV quotes or escape sequences, so a comma inside quotation marks is still treated as a delimiter.
Use aligned columns in logs and exports
Comma-separated log lines can become a terminal-style listing before you paste them into a ticket. Uneven spreadsheet exports can be lined up for plain-text review.
Use Add separator row under header for a short report, then select Copy to place the formatted text in a note. Select Tabs when the next step expects tab-separated fields.
Choose the right text formatting tool
For other text-formatting tasks, open Text Formatting & Layout Tools. Use Text Aligner for plain text lines that need left, center, right, or justified alignment, with optional character padding.
Choose Markdown Table Formatter for Markdown pipe tables whose separator alignment markers need to stay in place. Use Indent Text for indentation, tab-to-space conversion, or hanging indentation.
Frequently asked questions
How do I align CSV columns online?
Paste the CSV rows and choose Comma (,) under Delimiter. Spaces adds shared column padding, while Tabs joins cells with tab characters.
Can Align Text Columns detect numeric columns?
Choose Auto (numeric) to right-align a column when every checked body value is numeric. With First row is header enabled, the first non-empty row is left out of that check.
What happens to blank lines and short rows?
Blank lines stay blank when the input also contains non-empty rows, and short rows receive empty cells up to the widest row's column count. Input containing only blank or whitespace-only lines produces no output.
Does it handle quoted CSV fields?
No, it splits each line directly on the selected delimiter. A comma inside quoted text is still treated as a comma delimiter.