How to use Text Encoding and Delimiter Inspector
- Choose a text or CSV file within the size limit.
- Use automatic inspection or explicitly choose a supported legacy decoding option.
- Review encoding evidence, delimiter candidates and decoded text before downloading.
Example: Text Encoding and Delimiter Inspector
Inspect a small UTF-8 CSV.
Options
- Encoding
- Auto reports byte evidence rather than guessing every legacy encoding. An explicit Windows-1252 or UTF-16 choice supplies a convention when needed; invalid decoding is refused.
- Delimiter
- Auto compares comma, tab, semicolon and pipe using quote-aware rows. An explicit delimiter can resolve ambiguous evidence but does not repair inconsistent records.
Supported inputs and limits
Where your input is processed
This tool processes your input in this browser. Your text and files are not uploaded to UseFreeTools. Check this tool's limits for anything it may save on your device.
Byte evidence and an encoding guess differ
A byte-order mark provides useful evidence. Without one, bytes may fit more than one character set. The report does not establish the language or original application, and it does not silently substitute replacement characters for an invalid UTF-8 stream.
A consistent separator is only a candidate
Quoted separators, uneven rows and a small sample can make delimiter detection uncertain. Inspect the preview and row widths before selecting the delimiter for another tool. This page reports file evidence; it does not clean or rewrite the dataset.
Questions about Text Encoding and Delimiter Inspector
Can a file’s encoding always be identified?
No. Several encodings can produce valid text from the same bytes. The report separates evidence from an explicit decoding choice.
Why can two delimiters tie?
A file may be a single column, contain too few rows or use more than one punctuation character consistently. Inspect the preview and choose deliberately.
Does a comma inside quotes count as a column break?
The delimiter analysis uses quote-aware CSV parsing, so a properly quoted comma remains inside its field.