When does a CSV field need quotes?

When it contains a comma, a double quote, or a line break. Spaces alone do not trigger quoting here, so padding spaces at either end pass through unquoted. Everything else is written exactly as typed.

How do I put a quotation mark inside a CSV field?

Double it and wrap the field in quotes, so He said "hi" becomes "He said ""hi""". The tool does both steps, and any CSV reader turns each doubled pair back into one quote mark.

What does the formula option protect against?

A cell beginning with = + - or @ can run as a formula when the file is opened in a spreadsheet. With the box ticked, the tool puts an apostrophe in front so the text stays plain text.

Why does Unescape return my text unchanged?

It only acts when the text begins and ends with a double quote. A row such as a,"b",c is returned as typed, because the tool unwraps one quoted field and does not parse a whole row.

CSV Escape / Unescape

Escape or unescape CSV cell values.

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About CSV Escape / Unescape

A cell like 5" screen, black, or a note with a line break in it, will shift every column after it unless the field is quoted. Paste one value and Escape wraps it in double quotes when it contains a comma, a quote or a line break, doubling the quotes inside, and leaves ordinary text untouched. A checkbox can also prefix cells that start with = + - or @ with an apostrophe, so spreadsheets do not treat them as formulas.

Features

Wraps a field in quotes when it holds a comma, quote or line break
Doubles every quotation mark inside a quoted field
Optional apostrophe prefix for cells starting with = + - or @
Unescape removes the outer quotes and restores doubled quotes
Text with nothing special in it comes back unchanged

Limitations

The whole input is treated as one field: multi-line text becomes a single quoted cell, and a complete CSV file is not split into rows.
Only comma-separated files are handled, with no option for semicolon or tab delimiters.
The formula option adds a visible apostrophe to the text, so the cell no longer matches the original.

How it works

Paste one field value into the CSV Input panel.
Choose Escape or Unescape with the toggle in the middle column.
In Escape mode, tick the formula option if the cell might start with = + - or @.
Read the CSV Output panel and select Copy Output to paste the field into your file.

Example input

Auro, Inc. "Best Tools" 2026

Frequently asked questions

: When it contains a comma, a double quote, or a line break. Spaces alone do not trigger quoting here, so padding spaces at either end pass through unquoted. Everything else is written exactly as typed.
: Double it and wrap the field in quotes, so He said "hi" becomes "He said ""hi""". The tool does both steps, and any CSV reader turns each doubled pair back into one quote mark.
: A cell beginning with = + - or @ can run as a formula when the file is opened in a spreadsheet. With the box ticked, the tool puts an apostrophe in front so the text stays plain text.
: It only acts when the text begins and ends with a double quote. A row such as a,"b",c is returned as typed, because the tool unwraps one quoted field and does not parse a whole row.