A separator-stripping Replace
Default Find pattern `[,;|\t]+\s*` matches one or more of the separator characters followed by optional whitespace. Default Replace is a single space - so separators collapse to a space, preserving word boundaries. A trailing separator at line end becomes a trailing space (trim later if needed).
Set Replace to empty to CONCATENATE items: `apple,banana,cherry` becomes `applebananacherry`. Useful when you want to fuse comma-separated components into a single token.
The pattern is a character class - add or remove characters to target a different separator set. Unicode separators (em dash, bullet) need to be added explicitly: `[,;|\t•—]+\s*`.
How to use remove list item separators
- 1Paste your delimited list into the input panel
- 2Default Find matches `,`, `;`, `|`, tab + trailing whitespace
- 3Default Replace is a single space
- 4Set Replace to empty to concatenate items (no space between)
- 5Edit Find to add / remove separator characters
Keyboard shortcuts
Drive ListShift without touching the mouse.
What this tool actually does
Regex-based Replace tuned for stripping separators.
Handles four default separators
Comma, semicolon, pipe, tab. Runs of them (`,,,`) collapse to a single space. Trailing whitespace after the separator is also consumed.
Per-line scan
Each line processed independently. A line without separators passes through unchanged. Trailing separators leave trailing spaces - chain trim if that matters.
Empty Replace concatenates
Leave Replace blank: `a,b,c` → `abc`. Items fuse with no joining character.
Custom separator set
Edit Find to expand the character class. `[,;|\t/\\]+\s*` adds slash and backslash.
Literal mode via Regex off
Turn Regex off to match the Find string literally. Handy when your "separator" is a multi-character string like ` -- ` or `|||`.
Worked example
Default settings: separator runs replaced with single space. Trailing comma on line 1 leaves trailing space.
item1, item2, item3, item4, item5
item1 item2 item3 item4 item5
Settings reference
How each option shapes the output using the sample above.
| Setting | What it does | Effect on the sample |
|---|---|---|
| Find: `[,;|\t]+\s*` (default), Replace: ` ` (default) | Separator runs → single space | `item1, item2, item3,` → `item1 item2 item3 ` |
| Replace: empty | Concatenates items | `item1, item2, item3,` → `item1item2item3` |
| Find: `[,;]`, Regex: on | Narrower set, no trailing-whitespace consumption | `item1, item2` → `item1 item2` (comma replaced, its trailing space survives → double space) |
| Find: `,`, Regex: off | Literal comma match only | `item1, item2` → `item1 item2` (same double-space behaviour as above) |
| Trailing separator | Becomes trailing space | Chain trim after to clean up |