Left-pad a List

Left-pad every item in your list to a uniform length with this simple tool. Choose your padding character, set the target width, and instantly format your list. You can also ignore blank lines, import files, and export results. Preview changes live with a real-time output counter, and copy or download your padded list in one click.

Paste your input above or import a file below.
No file chosen
Supported file types: .txt, .csv, .tsv, .log, .json, .xml, .md, .ini, .yaml, .yml, .html, .htm, .css
Total items: 0
Options
Ignore empty lines

How to Use:

  1. Paste your list into the input box on the left.
  2. Adjust the pad length and character under Options.
  3. Toggle Ignore empty lines if you don’t want to format blanks.
  4. Watch the output update live on the right.
  5. Click Copy Output or Export to File when you’re ready.
  6. You can also import text files below the input box.

What the Left-pad a List Tool can do:

This tool pads each item in a list from the left side so all entries match a consistent width. You can specify exactly how many characters wide each item should be and what character to use for padding a space, zero, dash, or anything else. It can skip padding empty lines if needed, and always shows the number of padded items below the output. It’s a quick way to make lists neat and visually aligned.

Example:

Input:

cat
dog
giraffe

Options:

  • Pad length: 8
  • Pad character: _

Output:

_____cat
_____dog
giraffe

Common Use Cases:

If you’re working with lists that need to be visually aligned for example, in markdown tables, plain-text columns, or logs this tool can help standardize the width with easy left-padding. It’s also useful for formatting fixed-width outputs or making label-value pairs look tidy.

Useful Tools & Suggestions:

If you’re adding padding to the left side of list items, Right-pad a List is perfect to complete the formatting and get full visual alignment. And when you need more control, Change the Length of a List helps you keep everything uniform by trimming or extending entries to match. Great for prepping lists for display, coding, or any spot where structure counts.

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