Redshift import multiple TXT (pipe delimited text) files into a single table

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Want to import multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files into a single Redshift table?

Try Withdata FileToDB, a desktop TXT to Redshift converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Convert TXT to Redshift, 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 files to online services.
  • Support Windows, Linux, and macOS.

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Import multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files into a single Redshift table

Login to Redshift -> Choose TXT files -> Set Redshift table -> Import TXT files to Redshift table

Choose Redshift and logon.

import multiple PIPE files to 1 Redshift table - Choose Redshift and logon

Click “Wizard – N Files To 1 Table” at task dialog.

import multiple PIPE files to 1 Redshift table - task window

Select the “TXT” file type.

load multiple PIPE files to 1 Redshift table - select file type

then show the wizard.

1. Select a folder that constains TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files.

Support large ( > 4GB ) TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files.

insert multiple PIPE files to one Redshift table - select a folder

2. Config first TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file importing options.

import multiple PIPE files to one Redshift table - config first file

3. Select a Redshift table and config fields.

Merge PIPE files into a Redshift table - select table

4. Preview data will be in Redshift table.

put PIPE files into a single Redshift table - preview

5. Import multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to the Redshift table.

Merge PIPE files into a Redshift table - import data

View imported data in Redshift table

load PIPE files into a Redshift table - view data

Import multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to Redshift in command line

Save “multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to Redshift” session, then you can:

Set scheduled tasks for importing multiple TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) files to Redshift

You can schedule and automate this converting task by:

  1. Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file for “TXT to Redshift” conversion.
  2. Set scheduled task for “TXT to Redshift” conversion.

FAQ


More about Withdata FileToDB – TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) to Redshift converter

See also:

Pipe-delimited text → Redshift 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 Francisco

To open it in Excel: Data → From Text/CSV, then set the delimiter to | (or Text to Columns → Other = |).

Type mapping

Value kindin Pipe-delimited textin Redshift
Int1234integer
Bigint9007199254740993bigint
Decimal1234.56numeric(p,s)
Float1.234e+10double precision
Textquoted only when it contains a pipe or a quotevarchar(n)
Long textmust be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line recordsvarchar(max)
Date2026-09-18date
Datetime2026-09-18 14:30:00timestamp
Binarynot representable - base64 or hex string(none)
BooleanTRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writerboolean
JSONthe whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubledsuper

Dialect differences

Pipe-delimited text is a file format and Redshift 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.

Propertyin Pipe-delimited textin Redshift
port—5439
identifiersDouble quotes; a literal quote is doubled ("" )"double quotes"
row limit—LIMIT n
datesConventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00timestamp, date
long text—VARCHAR(MAX)
binaryNot supported—
separatorPipe "|"—
encodingNo declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM—
typingNone - every field is text—
shapeFlat table, optional header rowTables of rows and columns
ceilingNo formal limit; row count bounded by memory—

Command line

SideCommand
RedshiftUNLOAD to S3
Redshift (load)COPY from S3

No counterpart

  • Pipe-delimited text values of kind Binary have nowhere to go in Redshift.

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