String Escape / Unescape Tool
Escape or unescape a string for JavaScript/JSON, SQL or CSV.
Processed locally in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
- Free — no signup, no account, no watermark
- Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded to a server
- Works on mobile, tablet and desktop
- Instant — results appear as soon as you enter your input
Why this is private
- Processed locally in your browser. Nothing you enter is uploaded or stored.
- Open your browser's DevTools → Network tab while using this tool — you won't see a request carrying your input, because it never leaves your device.
- Nothing you enter is uploaded to a server or shared with us — the processing happens entirely on your device.
Overview
Escapes or unescapes a string for safe inclusion in a JavaScript/JSON string literal, a SQL string literal, or a CSV field — three different escaping rules, one tool.
How to use it
- 1Pick what you're escaping for: JavaScript/JSON, SQL, or CSV.
- 2Choose Escape (raw text → safely-escaped form) or Unescape (escaped form → raw text).
- 3Paste your text — the result updates automatically.
Formula
JavaScript / JSON
Uses JSON.stringify, so \n \t \" \\ and Unicode escapes are produced exactly as a JS/JSON parser expects.
SQL
A literal ' is doubled to '' — the standard ANSI SQL string-literal escape, portable across MySQL, PostgreSQL, SQLite and SQL Server.
CSV
Per RFC 4180: a field containing a comma, quote or line break is wrapped in double quotes, with any internal " doubled to "".
Frequently asked questions
What people use it for
Embed a string with quotes in a JS template or JSON valueEscape a title or name containing apostrophes or quotes before hardcoding it.
Build a one-off SQL statement safelyEscape a value containing an apostrophe (e.g. "O'Brien") before dropping it into a query — though parameterized queries are safer for real applications.
Fix a CSV field with a comma or quote in itEscape a value like `Smith, John "Jr."` so it survives a CSV round-trip correctly.
Decode an escaped string from a log or configUnescape a `\n`/`\"`-laden string back to readable text.
Related guides
- How to read JSON with a tree viewerA tree viewer turns a wall of brackets into a structure you can expand, search and copy paths from. Here's how to use one effectively.
- JSON parse errors explained: 'Unexpected token', 'Expected comma or brace', and the restWhat each common JSON error message actually means, the usual cause, and how to find the spot fast using line and column.
- How to format JSON (and actually understand the errors)JSON looks like a JavaScript object but follows stricter rules. Here's what those rules are and how to read the errors when they're broken.
Related tools
All developer toolsJSON Viewer & FormatterView, format, validate, edit and beautify JSON with an interactive tree view.SQL FormatterFormat and indent SQL queries for readability.CSV FormatterClean up CSV formatting and convert between delimiters.HTML Entity EncoderEscape special characters into HTML entities — XML-safe, extended named, decimal or hex.
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String Escape / Unescape Tool