How to use the line ending converter
- Paste text into the box, or open a text file. A file keeps its real line endings, so the counts are exact.
- Choose the ending to convert to: LF, CRLF or CR, and what to do with the last line.
- Read the counts of each ending found and after converting, and whether the text mixes endings.
- Download the file or copy the text. The download keeps exactly the endings you chose.
The three line endings
A line break can be written three ways. LF, the line feed, is used by Linux, macOS and most modern tools. CRLF, a carriage return followed by a line feed, is the Windows convention, and CR alone is a legacy of old Mac systems. They look the same on screen, but programs treat them differently. A script saved with CRLF may fail to run on Linux, and a file with mixed endings can produce odd differences in version control.
The counts show how many of each ending the text has, how many lines there are and whether it mixes kinds. A CR followed by an LF counts as one CRLF, not two breaks. Converting replaces every break with the one you choose, so the after counts show a single kind. A sample with 3 CRLF, 1 LF and 1 CR breaks becomes five CRLF breaks when converted to CRLF.
Why a file, not just pasting
A web browser normalizes every line break to LF when you paste text into a text box, so pasted text always shows LF and cannot reveal the original endings. To see the real endings of a file, open it with the file box. The page reads the file as text, refuses files that look like documents, images or programs, refuses SVG images and files with null bytes, and accepts valid UTF-8 text up to 5 MB. A leading byte order mark is dropped, and the saved file is UTF-8 without one.
The last line option can add a final break, which many tools and style rules expect, remove one or more at the end, or leave things as they are. The downloaded name adds the ending to the original name, such as notes-crlf.txt, so the original is not overwritten.
Related tools and privacy
To also change tabs and spaces, use the Tabs to Spaces Converter. The Diff Checker compares two versions, the Hard Wrap Text Tool reflows long lines and the Text Line Tools remove blank lines. Everything runs in your browser. The file is read in memory and never uploaded.
Assumptions and limits
- Text files must be valid UTF-8 and up to 5 MB, without null bytes. Binary files and SVG images are refused.
- A CR followed by an LF is one CRLF break.
- Pasted text arrives with LF only, because the browser normalizes it. Open a file to see its real endings.
- Nothing is uploaded or stored.
Frequently asked questions
How do I convert CRLF to LF?
Open the file or paste the text, choose LF as the ending to convert to, and download the result. Every break becomes a line feed.
Why does pasted text show no CRLF?
Browsers convert every line break in a text box to LF as you paste, so the original endings are lost. Opening the file with the file box reads the real bytes and shows exact counts.
What is the difference between CR, LF and CRLF?
LF is a line feed, used by Linux and macOS. CRLF is a carriage return and a line feed, used by Windows. CR alone was used by classic Mac systems and is rare now.
Does the page change anything besides line endings?
Only if you ask it to add or remove the final break. The text is otherwise unchanged, and the saved file is UTF-8 without a byte order mark.