Want to import data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to Access?
Try Withdata FileToDB, a desktop TXT to Access converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Convert TXT to Access, 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 locally and privately, avoid uploading large or private TXT file(s) to online services.
- Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.
Import data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to Access
Login to Access -> Choose TXT file -> Set Access table -> Import TXT to Access
Choose Access and logon.
Click “Wizard – 1 File To 1 Table” at task dialog.
Select the “TXT” file type.
then show the wizard.
1. Open a TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file.
Support large ( > 4GB ) TXT file.
Here is the file’s content.
2. Select a Access table and config fields.
3. Preview data will be in Access table.
4. Import TXT data to Access.
View imported data in Access table
Import TXT to Access in command line
Save “TXT to Access” session, then you can:
- Import TXT to Access in Windows command line.
- Import TXT to Access in Linux command line.
- Import TXT to Access in macOS command line.
Set scheduled tasks for importing TXT to Access
You can schedule and automate this “TXT to Access” conversion task by:
- Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file for “TXT to Access” conversion.
- Set scheduled task for “TXT to Access” conversion.
FAQ
What is Withdata FileToDB?
How long does it take to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to Access?
Is it safe to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to Access using FileToDB?
Can I import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to Access on Linux, Mac OS?
Can I import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to Access in command line?
Can FileToDB work without Microsoft Access installed?
More about Withdata FileToDB – TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) to Access converter
Download Withdata FileToDB
See also:
Pipe-delimited text → Access 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 text | in Access |
|---|---|---|
| Int | 1234 | Long Integer |
| Bigint | 9007199254740993 | Long Integer |
| Decimal | 1234.56 | Decimal |
| Float | 1.234e+10 | Double |
| Text | quoted only when it contains a pipe or a quote | Text(n) |
| Long text | must be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line records | Long Text |
| Date | 2026-09-18 | Date/Time |
| Datetime | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | Date/Time |
| Binary | not representable - base64 or hex string | OLE Object |
| Boolean | TRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writer | Yes/No |
| JSON | the whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubled | Long Text |
Dialect differences
Pipe-delimited text is a file format and Access is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.
| Property | in Pipe-delimited text | in Access |
|---|---|---|
| port | — | (file-based) |
| identifiers | Double quotes; a literal quote is doubled ("" ) | [square brackets] |
| row limit | — | SELECT TOP n |
| dates | Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | Date/Time |
| long text | — | MEMO |
| binary | Not supported | OLE Object |
| separator | Pipe "|" | — |
| encoding | No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM | — |
| typing | None - every field is text | — |
| shape | Flat table, optional header row | Tables of rows and columns |
| ceiling | No formal limit; row count bounded by memory | — |
Convert your data online, free
Free in-browser converters for CSV, Excel, JSON, XML and SQL: Withdata Online Data Conversion. Large files, batch conversion or scheduling? See the offline desktop apps, or browse all data conversion tools.
