Documents conversion
Convert RTF to CSV
Updated Jul 2026
RTF to CSV conversion pulls the actual data out of a rich text document, usually a table or list, and lays it out as comma-separated rows that spreadsheets and databases can read. Formatting like fonts, colors, and layout doesn't carry over. You can do this on your own computer, with nothing uploaded anywhere.
- Extension
- .rtf
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Cross-app rich text
- Extension
- .csv
- Type
- Documents
- Typically
- Data, spreadsheets
Convert RTF to CSV on your own computer. Nothing uploads.
How to convert RTF to CSV
- Open Morphjet and drag in the RTF file, or a whole folder of them at once.
- Choose CSV as the output format.
- Convert. The CSV is written next to your original, and nothing leaves your machine.
RTF vs CSV: what actually changes
| RTF | CSV | |
|---|---|---|
| File size | Larger, formatting adds overhead | Smaller, plain text only |
| Formatting (fonts, colors, bold) | Yes | No, plain text only |
| Best for | Letters, documents, formatted notes | Tables, lists, spreadsheet data |
| Opens in | Word processors | Spreadsheet apps and databases |
| Keeps document layout | Yes | No, only rows and columns of data |
| Author and revision info | Can be stored in the file | Not kept |
When to convert, and when not to
Convert RTF to CSV when the document actually holds a table or list, like an invoice, contact list, or data someone pasted in as formatted text, and you want to work with it in a spreadsheet or load it into another program.
Keep the RTF if it's a real document, a letter, a report, anything with headings or styling, since CSV can't hold any of that and converting it would just leave you with a messy wall of text.
Why not just use an online converter?
RTF documents often carry exactly the kind of data people want out as CSV, client lists, invoices, exported records. Running that through an online converter means uploading it to a stranger's server first. Converting on your own computer means the document, and whatever is in it, never leaves your machine.
Questions
Does converting RTF to CSV lose formatting?
Yes, and that's expected. CSV is plain data with no support for fonts, colors, or layout, so anything like that in the RTF is dropped. Only the actual text and table structure carries over.
What happens if the RTF isn't a table?
You'll still get a CSV, but it may just be paragraphs of text dumped in one column, since there's no rows or columns to line up. This conversion works best when the RTF already contains a table or list.
Will the CSV keep the author or revision history from the RTF?
No. CSV has no place to store that kind of metadata, so author name, edit history, and comments are all left behind. Only the visible data comes across.
Can I convert RTF to CSV without uploading the file?
Yes. Morphjet converts on your own computer, so the file never travels over the internet. It works the same with your wifi off.
Why would an RTF file contain table data in the first place?
It happens more than you'd think, someone pastes a spreadsheet range into a word processor, or exports a report as rich text instead of a proper data format. Converting it to CSV gets the data back into a shape you can actually use.
Morphjet converts RTF, CSV, and 1,800+ other formats, all on your machine. Launching this July.