How to turn a table in a screenshot into CSV on Mac
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2, choose Table and drag over the table. In the panel, choose Copy as CSV, and the table is in your clipboard as comma-separated text, ready to paste into a file, a script or an import form. Recognition happens on your Mac.
How to do it with Copyable
Press ⌘ ⇧ 2 and choose Table
The screen freezes and a toolbar appears at the bottom. Choose Table there before you drag.
Drag over the table
Include the header row and leave out titles and footnotes around the table. Clear rows and columns give the cleanest result.
Copy as CSV and save it
In the panel, choose Copy as CSV. To save it as a file, run pbpaste > table.csv in Terminal, or paste it into a plain-text document.
Without Copyable
The free ways, and where they stop working. If one of them covers what you need, you don’t need an app.
Through a spreadsheet
Get the table into Numbers or Excel first, then export it: in Numbers, File → Export To → CSV.
Where it stops: You still need the table as cells first, and it’s an extra file round trip.
Tips for CSV
- To save from TextEdit, choose Format → Make Plain Text before you paste, then save the file with a .csv name.
- Opening a CSV in Excel can change values: leading zeros in IDs, long numbers and dates. Import it with those columns set to Text if they matter.
- Merged cells and cells with several lines of text may need tidying after you paste. Tables with clear rows and columns work best.
Questions
Does the CSV include the header row?
Yes, if the header is inside your selection.
Can I paste it straight into a spreadsheet?
You can, but for a spreadsheet the regular Table copy is easier: it pastes as cells.
Is anything uploaded?
No. Copyable reads the table on your Mac and makes no network requests.
Copy text from anything on your screen
Copyable reads the text in any area you select with ⌘ ⇧ 2, on your Mac, without uploading anything. $4.99 once, plus tax where it applies. Requires macOS 14 Sonoma or later, Apple silicon or Intel.
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