# ASCII Table Formatter

> Turn CSV or tab-separated text into an aligned plain-text, Markdown or box-drawing table.

An ASCII table formatter aligns delimited rows into a readable fixed-width table. Paste CSV, tab or pipe separated data and get box-drawing, ASCII, Markdown or plain aligned output, with numeric columns right-aligned automatically so figures line up on the decimal.

**URL:** https://convertto.tech/t/ascii-table-formatter
**Category:** Text Tools (https://convertto.tech/c/text-tools)
**Privacy:** Runs entirely in the browser; no upload
**Cost:** Free, no sign-up
**Last updated:** 2026-08-01

## Key facts

- **Privacy:** Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded
- **Cost:** Free, unlimited, no sign-up

## How to use

1. Enter or paste your rows.
2. Choose the separator.
3. Choose the style.
4. Choose the alignment.
5. Turn "First row is a header" on or off as needed.
6. The result appears immediately — copy or download it.

## FAQ

### Why do my columns misalign after formatting?

Almost always a proportional font. Fixed-width alignment only holds in a monospace font, where every character occupies the same width. Wide CJK characters also break it, because they occupy two cells rather than one.

### When should I use a Markdown table instead?

Whenever the output will be rendered — GitHub, a README, documentation. Markdown lets the renderer size the columns, which adapts to the screen. Box-drawing tables are for terminals and plain-text files, where nothing will lay them out for you.

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