Text Encoding Converter - Fix Garbled CSV Files
Convert text and CSV files between UTF-8, Shift_JIS, GBK, Big5, EUC-KR, ASCII, and Latin1. Fix mojibake and garbled text locally in your browser.
Quick Convert (One-Click)
Mojibake and CSV Encoding Fixes
Encoding problems are easiest to fix when you keep the original sample, identify the likely source encoding, and convert only once. These examples cover common CSV, database export, and legacy text file cases.
UTF-8 bytes read as Latin1
Chinese or emoji may turn into multi-character mojibake when UTF-8 bytes are interpreted with a single-byte encoding.
你好 -> ä½ å¥½GBK or Big5 CSV opened as UTF-8
Spreadsheet exports from older Chinese systems often need the original Chinese encoding selected before saving as UTF-8.
CSV columns show replacement marks or unreadable Han charactersShift_JIS Japanese product data
Japanese filenames, SKU exports, and legacy ERP files commonly require Shift_JIS to UTF-8 conversion before import.
商品名 fields look correct only after Shift_JIS decodeWrong conversion direction
If output becomes worse after conversion, restore the original sample and swap source/target encodings instead of converting the already-broken text repeatedly.
broken text -> converted broken text -> harder to recoverRecommended Fix Workflow
- Keep a copy of the original file or original pasted text before every conversion attempt.
- Try Auto Detect first, then manually test GBK, Big5, Shift_JIS, and EUC-KR when the preview still looks wrong.
- Use UTF-8 as the target when importing into modern databases, APIs, spreadsheets, or web apps.
- Check a few rows with names, punctuation, and symbols, not only the first line of a CSV file.
- Download the converted file only after the preview text is readable and the separators still look correct.
Frequently Asked Questions
How to use the encoding converter?
Select source encoding (or use auto-detect) and target encoding, enter the text to convert, then click the convert button. You can also use quick convert buttons for one-click common encoding conversions.
How does auto-detect work?
When "Auto Detect" is selected, the tool tries multiple common encodings (UTF-8, GBK, Big5, Shift_JIS, EUC-KR) to decode the text and automatically identifies the most likely source encoding. If auto-detect is inaccurate, you can manually select the source encoding.
How to convert GBK to UTF-8?
Click the "GBK → UTF-8" quick button, or select GBK as source encoding and UTF-8 as target encoding, enter GBK-encoded text, then click convert. You can also use auto-detect, and the tool will automatically identify GBK encoding.
How to convert Big5 to UTF-8?
Click the "Big5 → UTF-8" quick button, or select Big5 as source encoding and UTF-8 as target encoding, enter Big5-encoded text, then click convert. You can also use auto-detect, and the tool will automatically identify Big5 encoding.
How to fix garbled text?
If text appears garbled, it's usually due to encoding mismatch. Select "Auto Detect" to let the tool automatically identify the source encoding, or manually select the correct source encoding (such as GBK, Big5, etc.), choose UTF-8 as target encoding, then convert to fix the garbled text.
When should I use encoding conversion?
Encoding conversion is commonly used in the following scenarios: processing legacy system files, fixing garbled text, transferring data between different systems, handling multilingual content, developing cross-platform applications, etc.
Do I need to download the UTF-8 encoding converter?
No download needed! This tool is an online encoding converter that runs directly in your browser, ready to use instantly. All conversions are done locally in your browser, requiring no software installation and no data upload to servers. Supports conversion between GBK, Big5, Shift_JIS, EUC-KR, and UTF-8.