TSV to CSV Converter
Convert tab-separated TSV into comma-separated CSV. Values that contain commas or quotes are quoted correctly, so the file opens cleanly anywhere.
What the TSV to CSV converter does
It takes tab-separated text, splits each line on tabs, and writes the same table as comma-separated values. Fields that would confuse a CSV reader — those containing a comma, a double quote or a line break — are wrapped in double quotes, and any quote inside them is doubled, following RFC 4180. Everything else is written exactly as it was, so the conversion never changes a value, only how it is delimited.
The most common source of TSV is the clipboard. When you copy a range of cells in Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc or Numbers and paste it into a plain-text box, you get one line per row with tabs between the cells. Pasting that here is a quick way to turn a selection into a CSV file without saving a new spreadsheet.
How to use it
- Paste tab-separated text into the TSV Input pane, or load a
.tsvor.txtfile with File, or a remote one with URL. - Click Convert.
- Use Copy, or Download to save
converted.csv. Clear empties both panes.
There are no settings. The output always uses commas and LF line endings, and has no trailing newline.
Conversion rules
- Every tab is a field boundary. Two tabs in a row produce an empty field, and a trailing tab produces an empty last field.
- Every line is a row. Empty lines are skipped. A line containing only spaces is not empty, so it is kept as a one-field row.
- Quotes in the TSV are treated as ordinary text. A value written as
"Eternal City"keeps its quotes and is escaped for CSV. - Carriage returns and a byte order mark are removed, so files saved on Windows or by Excel convert cleanly.
- Ragged rows are kept as they are. A line with fewer tabs becomes a CSV row with fewer fields.
Example
Input, with → standing for a tab:
city→population→note
Paris→2102650→Capital, France
Rome→2749031→"Eternal City"Output:
city,population,note
Paris,2102650,"Capital, France"
Rome,2749031,"""Eternal City"""Capital, France is quoted because of its comma. In the last row the value itself contains quote characters, so each is doubled and the whole value is wrapped in quotes; any CSV reader turns it back into "Eternal City".
Tab-delimited files saved by Excel
Excel's Save As list offers two tab-separated formats, both with a .txt extension. Unicode Text is saved as UTF-16 with a byte order mark; browsers recognise that mark when a file is opened with File, so accented letters come through correctly. Text (Tab delimited) uses the legacy code page of your Windows region, such as Windows-1252, and characters like ë or á appear as � because files are read as UTF-8 when there is no byte order mark. Choose Unicode Text, or copy the cells and paste them instead.
Common problems and fixes
| Symptom | Cause | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| The whole line ends up in one CSV field | The input has no tabs. Some editors and chat apps turn tabs into spaces when you paste. | Copy straight from the spreadsheet into this page, or load the saved file with File. |
| A cell is split over two rows, with stray quotes | A copied cell contained a line break. Spreadsheets typically wrap such a cell in quotes when copying it as text, but this converter does not interpret quotes in TSV. | Remove line breaks from those cells before copying, or export the sheet as CSV from the spreadsheet itself. |
| A blank-looking row in the output | A line containing only spaces. | Delete the line in the input, or remove the row afterwards. |
| Accented characters look wrong in the downloaded file | The file is UTF-8 without a byte order mark, and the program opening it assumed another encoding. | Import it with an explicit UTF-8 setting, for example Excel's Data > From Text/CSV. |
Frequently asked questions
Why did quotes in my data become doubled?
That is how CSV stores a quote character inside a quoted value. Spreadsheets and CSV libraries read """Eternal City""" back as "Eternal City", so the data is unchanged.
Can I use a semicolon as the output delimiter?
No, the output always uses commas. If your copy of Excel expects semicolons because of its regional settings, import the file with Data > From Text/CSV and choose comma as the delimiter.
Are numbers, dates and leading zeros changed?
No. The converter copies text, so 007, 1.50 and 03/10/2026 come out exactly as they went in. What you see in the CSV is what the spreadsheet displayed when you copied it, not necessarily the underlying cell value.
How do I go from CSV back to TSV?
Use the CSV to TSV converter. It reads CSV quoting properly and replaces any tab or line break inside a value with a space.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The text is converted by JavaScript in your browser and is not sent to a server. Only the URL button makes a network request, from your browser to the address you enter.