Free online SQL to TXT converter

A database export may need a generic plain-text extension for review, editing, archiving, or software that accepts only .txt. Because an SQL script is normally already plain text, this conversion usually changes the filename extension without changing the database statements.

What SQL files contain

An SQL file is a text script containing Structured Query Language statements or database-export data. It may include CREATE TABLE, INSERT, UPDATE, schema definitions, indexes, queries, comments, stored procedures, and transaction commands.

Database systems and administration tools generate SQL files for exports, backups, migrations, and restores. Common sources include MySQL, MariaDB, PostgreSQL, Microsoft SQL Server, SQLite, Oracle, phpMyAdmin, MySQL Workbench, mysqldump, and pg_dump. SQL is not one fully uniform file format: syntax, delimiters, data types, and commands can vary by database engine.

What TXT files contain

A TXT file contains unstructured plain text with no required database schema or application-specific interpretation. It can be opened in Notepad, TextEdit, VS Code, Notepad++, or another text editor, which makes it suitable for reading, annotation, documentation, and systems that accept generic text.

TXT does not convert SQL statements into rows, columns, a spreadsheet, or an executable database. It preserves only the text and, depending on the conversion method, its line endings and character encoding.

Convert SQL to TXT online

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software:

1. Open the SQL-to-TXT conversion page.
2. Upload the .sql file.
3. Choose TXT as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting .txt file and inspect it in a text editor.

Do not upload a database dump containing passwords, personal data, proprietary code, or other restricted information unless the service is approved for that data.

Copy or rename the file locally

For an SQL file that is already plain text, copying it with a new extension is usually the most exact method. On macOS or Linux, run:

cp database.sql database.txt

In Windows Command Prompt, run:

copy /b database.sql database.txt

These commands create a second file without parsing or rewriting the SQL. The original file remains available for database import or execution. Renaming the file in a file manager has the same practical effect; enable visible file extensions first so that the result does not become database.txt.sql.

Save the file from a text editor

Open the SQL file in Notepad, VS Code, Notepad++, Sublime Text, or another editor, then use File → Save As. Enter a name such as database.txt, choose UTF-8 when the source is UTF-8, and disable automatic extension appending. In Windows Notepad, choose All files instead of a SQL or text filter when entering the complete filename.

Saving through an editor can change line endings, remove or add a byte-order mark, normalize encoding, or alter text if the editor interprets the source incorrectly. Use direct copying when byte-for-byte preservation matters.

Check compatibility and output

Open the TXT file and verify the first and last lines, table definitions, record counts where known, special characters, and any long SQL statements. A successful extension change does not validate SQL syntax, repair a damaged dump, extract only the data, or make vendor-specific SQL compatible with another database engine.

MySQL-specific syntax, PostgreSQL commands, stored procedures, delimiters, quoted identifiers, and engine-specific data types may still fail when executed in a different system. Keep the .sql extension when another program must identify the file as an SQL script; use .txt for generic reading, documentation, or an application that requires that extension.

UTF-8 is generally the safest shared encoding, but it should be selected only when it matches the source. SQL dumps can contain binary values represented as hexadecimal or Base64, yet a dump is still text only when those values are encoded as text. A TXT conversion preserves such content; it does not decode, simplify, or extract it.