Convert a text file from a selected source encoding into UTF8 or UTF16. Fix readable legacy text before importing it into another app.
How to use
Import a supported text file under 10 MB. Choose the source encoding explicitly, select the output encoding, and convert. Inspect the preview before downloading.
Example
For a Russian file saved in Windows 1251, select that source and UTF8 output. Check a few accented or Cyrillic words in the preview.
FAQ
Can it detect the source automatically?
No. Try the known encoding first. Text already saved with replacement characters cannot be restored by changing encoding alone.
Related tools
A practical task
Work from the earliest intact copy of a damaged looking file. A wrong display encoding can be corrected while the original bytes survive. A file saved after characters were replaced with question marks no longer contains enough information to recover those letters.
Another useful question
How do I identify a likely source encoding?
Use the exporting application's settings or file documentation first. Test a word containing distinctive characters and verify several rows before exporting the whole file.
Details for interpreting the result
| Detail | Explanation |
|---|---|
| Encoding and encryption | Encoding changes how data is represented so another system can read it. It does not require a secret key. Encryption protects information with a key, while hashing produces a digest for a different purpose. |
| UTF8 bytes | UTF8 encodes characters as bytes. Basic Latin letters use one byte each, while many accented letters and other scripts use more. A byte count therefore differs from a visible character count. |
| A complete byte | A byte holds a value from 0 through 255. Binary writes that value with eight digits; hexadecimal writes it with two. Leading zeros are part of that fixed width representation and must stay in place. |
| Similar looking text | Two strings can look identical but use different Unicode sequences. An accented letter can be stored directly or as a letter plus an accent. Visual similarity alone does not establish byte equality. |
| Code points | A Unicode code point identifies a character or a component of one. A letter followed by a combining accent contains two code points even when the screen displays one accented letter. |
| Line endings | A line break can use LF or CRLF. They look similar in an editor but contain different characters. Byte comparisons and checksums depend on the exact representation, including a final line break. |
| Source boundaries | A summary or rewrite works from the material you provide. A URL alone does not supply the full article in this interface. Include the relevant passage and keep citations attached to the claims they support. |