Want to batch convert TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to JSON files?
Try Withdata Data File Converter, a desktop TXT to JSON converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Batch convert TXT to JSON, Easy and Fast.
- Can run in GUI mode, Step by Step, just a few mouse clicks.
- Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
- Convert files locally and privately, avoid uploading large TXT file(s) to online services.
- Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Batch convert TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to JSON files
Select source TXT files -> Set JSON files -> Convert TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to JSON files
Click “Start a New Convert” at task dialog.
then show the wizard.
Select From “Files” “TXT” To “Files” “JSON”.
1. Select source TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files.
And config the first source TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file.
2. Config target JSON files.
3. Summary.
List source TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files.
4. Convert TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to JSON files, 1 TXT to 1 JSON.
After converting, you can view output JSON files.
More about TXT to JSON converter
Download Withdata DataFileConverter
See Video: Bulk convert TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to JSON files without coding
See also:
Pipe-delimited → JSON reference
What is a pipe-delimited file?
A pipe-delimited file (also called pipe-separated values, PSV) is a plain-text file where each line is one record and a vertical bar | separates the fields. It works like CSV but uses | instead of ,, so a value that contains commas needs no quoting.
Name|Age|City
Alice|30|New York
Bob|41|San FranciscoTo open it in Excel: Data → From Text/CSV, then set the delimiter to | (or Text to Columns → Other = |).
Type mapping
| Value kind | in Pipe-delimited | in JSON |
|---|---|---|
| Int | 1234 | 1234 (number) |
| Decimal | 1234.56 | 1234.56 (number) |
| Float | 1.234e+10 | 1.234e10 (number) |
| Text | quoted only when it contains a pipe or a quote | "text" (string) |
| Long text | must be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line records | "multi-line\ntext" (escaped newline inside a string) |
| Date | 2026-09-18 | "2026-09-18" (string) |
| Datetime | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | "2026-09-18T14:30:00Z" (string) |
| Binary | not representable - base64 or hex string | "base64:..." (string) |
| Boolean | TRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writer | true / false (boolean) |
| JSON | the whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubled | nested object or array, kept as structure |
Dialect differences
Both Pipe-delimited and JSON are file formats, so what differs below is how each one chooses to represent a value.
| Property | in Pipe-delimited | in JSON |
|---|---|---|
| identifiers | Double quotes; a literal quote is doubled ("" ) | Double quotes; backslash escapes |
| dates | Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | No date type: dates arrive as strings and the reader must p... |
| binary | Not supported | Not supported natively - base64 inside a string |
| separator | Pipe "|" | Braces and commas |
| encoding | No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM | UTF-8 by definition |
| typing | None - every field is text | string, number, boolean, null, object, array - no date type |
| shape | Flat table, optional header row | Nested objects and arrays |
| ceiling | No formal limit; row count bounded by memory | Whole document is usually parsed into memory |
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