Want to import data from TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) file to SQL Server?
Try Withdata FileToDB, a desktop TXT to SQL Server converter for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, Convert TXT to SQL Server, 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 SQL Server
Login to SQL Server -> Choose TXT file -> Set SQL Server table -> Import TXT to SQL Server
Choose SQL Server 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 SQL Server table and config fields.
3. Preview data will be in SQL Server table.
4. Import TXT data to SQL Server.
View imported data in SQL Server table
Import TXT to SQL Server in command line
Save “TXT to SQL Server” session, then you can:
- Import TXT to SQL Server in Windows command line.
- Import TXT to SQL Server in Linux command line.
- Import TXT to SQL Server in macOS command line.
Set scheduled tasks for importing TXT to SQL Server
You can schedule and automate this “TXT to SQL Server” conversion task by:
- Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file for “TXT to SQL Server” conversion.
- Set scheduled task for “TXT to SQL Server” conversion.
FAQ
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How long does it take to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to SQL Server?
Is it safe to import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to SQL Server using FileToDB?
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Can I import TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) data to SQL Server in command line?
More about Withdata FileToDB – TXT (“|” pipe delimited text) to SQL Server converter
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See also:
Pipe-delimited text → SQL Server 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 SQL Server |
|---|---|---|
| Int | 1234 | int |
| Bigint | 9007199254740993 | bigint |
| Decimal | 1234.56 | decimal(p,s) |
| Float | 1.234e+10 | float |
| Text | quoted only when it contains a pipe or a quote | nvarchar(n) |
| Long text | must be quoted; line breaks inside force multi-line records | nvarchar(max) |
| Date | 2026-09-18 | date |
| Datetime | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | datetime2 |
| Binary | not representable - base64 or hex string | varbinary(max) |
| Boolean | TRUE / FALSE, or 1 / 0 depending on the writer | bit |
| JSON | the whole JSON value quoted, with internal quotes doubled | nvarchar(max) |
Dialect differences
Pipe-delimited text is a file format and SQL Server 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 SQL Server |
|---|---|---|
| port | — | 1433 |
| 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 | datetime, datetime2, date, time |
| long text | — | nvarchar(max) |
| binary | Not supported | varbinary(max) |
| 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 | — |
Command line
| Side | Command |
|---|---|
| SQL Server | bcp |
| SQL Server (load) | bcp, or BULK INSERT |
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