Free online YML to TXT converter

YML files often need conversion when a basic editor, archive system, or device accepts only the TXT extension. Because YAML is already plain text, the usual conversion preserves the YAML source while changing the filename or saving it with a text-compatible encoding.

What the YML format is

YML is an alternate extension for YAML, a human-readable data-serialization format used for configuration and structured data. It stores mappings, lists, strings, numbers, Boolean values, comments, multiline blocks, anchors, and aliases through indentation and punctuation rather than binary encoding.

Common creators and users include Docker Compose, Ansible, Kubernetes tools, GitHub Actions, CI systems, static-site generators, application frameworks, and text editors such as Visual Studio Code, Notepad++, and Sublime Text. You may encounter .yml files in software project folders, deployment repositories, automation packages, and application configuration directories.

What the TXT format is

TXT is a generic plain-text format with no required data structure, metadata model, or application-specific syntax. It is suitable for notes, logs, archival copies, basic editing, command-line inspection, and systems that accept only a filename ending in .txt.

TXT files open on Windows, macOS, Linux, mobile devices, and most text editors. They are small because they contain character data without images, formatting instructions, or embedded application objects. A TXT file can still contain YAML syntax, but a program that expects unstructured text may display that syntax without interpreting it.

How to actually convert YML to TXT

Rename or copy the file

1. Make a backup of the original settings.yml file.
2. Rename it to settings.txt, or create a copy with the new extension.
3. Confirm that the file does not become settings.txt.yml or settings.txt.txt; enable file-name extensions in the file manager if necessary.

This method is sufficient when the requested output is the same YAML content in a file with a TXT extension.

Save it from a text editor

1. Open the YML file in a plain-text editor.
2. Choose File → Save As.
3. Enter a filename ending in .txt.
4. Select UTF-8 encoding when the editor offers an encoding setting.
5. Choose plain text or all files as the file type instead of a document format such as DOCX.

In Visual Studio Code, use File → Save As, specify settings.txt, and keep the file content unchanged. In Notepad on Windows, select File → Save As, set Save as type to All files, and use UTF-8 encoding.

Use the built-in online converter

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software: upload the YML file, select TXT as the output format, start the conversion, and download the resulting file. Check the downloaded filename and encoding before using it in another program.

Copy it from a command line

On macOS or Linux, create a TXT copy with:

cp settings.yml settings.txt

On Windows PowerShell, use:

Copy-Item settings.yml settings.txt

These commands change the copy's extension but do not parse, reformat, or restructure the YAML.

Quality and compatibility limitations

Changing .yml to .txt does not convert structured YAML into a flat list of values. Comments, indentation, keys, list markers, quoted strings, anchors, aliases, and multiline blocks remain in the output. A program that requires ordinary lines rather than YAML must receive an application-specific export or a manually prepared text file.

Preserve UTF-8 if the file contains accented characters, non-Latin scripts, or symbols. Converting line endings may be necessary for older systems: Windows commonly uses CRLF, while Linux and macOS commonly use LF. Do not remove indentation, because indentation determines nesting in YAML and can make the original file invalid.