CSV Processor

The CSV Processor nodes allow you to work with CSV (Comma-Separated Values) data inside your workflows.
They are designed to handle common data exchange scenarios such as importing datasets, validating structured data, and exporting processed results back into CSV format.

CSV Processor includes two nodes:

  • Read CSV
  • Write CSV

These nodes are especially useful when integrating with spreadsheets, legacy systems, data exports, or bulk-processing workflows.

Read CSV Node

The Read CSV node reads and parses CSV data from provided input and converts it into structured data that can be used by subsequent nodes.

Description

Read and parse CSV data from raw content or uploaded files with advanced parsing options and built-in validation.

Input Configuration

Input Type

  • Select box
  • Determines how CSV data is provided

Available options:

  • Manual CSV Input
  • Upload CSV File

CSV Input (Manual CSV Input)

  • Appears when Manual CSV Input is selected
  • A text area labeled CSV Content
  • Paste or write raw CSV content directly into the field

CSV File (Upload CSV File)

  • Appears when Upload CSV File is selected
  • File upload field to upload a .csv file
  • Below the upload field:
    • Or paste content directly option
    • A text area where CSV content can be pasted manually

Parsing Options

Delimiter

  • Select box
  • Defines how columns are separated

Options:

  • Comma ,
  • Semicolon ;
  • Tab
  • Pipe |
  • Colon :
  • Space

Enclosure Character

  • Text input
  • Example: "
  • Used to wrap fields containing delimiters or special characters

Escape Character

  • Text input
  • Example: /
  • Defines how special characters are escaped

Has Header Row

  • On / Off
  • Indicates whether the first row contains column headers

Text Encoding

  • Select box
  • Example: UTF-8
  • Ensures correct character decoding

Row Limit

  • Number input
  • Maximum number of rows to process
  • 0 means no limit

Skip Rows

  • Number input
  • Number of rows to skip from the beginning (after header row)

Trim Whitespace

  • On / Off
  • Removes leading and trailing whitespace from fields

Skip Empty Rows

  • On / Off
  • Ignores completely empty rows

Validate Column Count

  • On / Off
  • Ensures all rows have the same number of columns

Auto Detect Delimiter

  • On / Off
  • Automatically detects the delimiter used in the CSV

Include Row Numbers

  • On / Off
  • Adds row number metadata to parsed output

Common Use Cases

  • Importing spreadsheet exports
  • Validating bulk data uploads
  • Parsing CSV files from email or storage
  • Preparing structured data for processing or APIs

Write CSV Node

The Write CSV node generates CSV content from structured array data produced by previous workflow steps.

Description

Generate CSV output from array-based data with advanced formatting and validation options.

Input Configuration

Data

  • Add Item input
  • Each item represents a row
  • Each added item opens two text inputs (key-value structure)

This allows you to dynamically build CSV rows using workflow data.

Formatting Options

Delimiter

  • Text input
  • Defines the column separator (e.g. ,, ;)

Enclosure Character

  • Text input
  • Example: "

Escape Character

  • Text input

Include Headers

  • On / Off
  • Automatically includes header row

Quote Style

  • Select box

Options:

  • Only when needed (default)
  • All Fields
  • Non-numeric only
  • Never

Output Encoding

  • Select box
  • Defines character encoding of the output CSV

Custom Headers

  • Text area
  • Allows you to define custom column headers manually

Null Value Replacement

  • Text input
  • Replaces null or empty values with a custom string

Max Field Length

  • Number input
  • Limits maximum length of each field

Validate Data Consistency

  • On / Off
  • Ensures all rows have the same number of columns

Add BOM

  • On / Off
  • Adds Byte Order Mark (BOM) for UTF-8
  • Helps compatibility with Excel and similar tools

Common Use Cases

  • Exporting processed data
  • Generating reports
  • Preparing files for download or email
  • Sending structured data to external systems

Best Practices

  • Enable Validate Column Count when importing external CSVs
  • Use Auto Detect Delimiter when source format is unknown
  • Add BOM for CSV files intended for Excel users
  • Trim whitespace to avoid hidden data issues
  • Use Custom Headers for cleaner exports

Summary

The CSV Processor nodes make it easy to integrate CSV-based data into puq.ai workflows:

  • Read CSV converts raw CSV content into usable structured data
  • Write CSV transforms structured workflow data back into CSV format

Together, they provide a complete solution for CSV-based data ingestion and export.