Paste comma-separated data below
Ready to convert
Paste CSV input and click Convert// convert csv to tab-separated values in one click
Convert CSV files to TSV format instantly. Change comma-separated values to tab-separated for Excel, Google Sheets, and database imports. Free, browser-based, no upload required.
Ready to convert
Paste CSV input and click ConvertPaste comma-separated data into the input box. Headers are optional.
Select the delimiter your source file uses — comma, semicolon, or pipe.
Click Convert, then Copy or Download the .tsv file ready for import.
A CSV to TSV converter changes the delimiter in a structured text file from commas to tabs. TSV (Tab-Separated Values) is the preferred format for spreadsheet imports, database LOAD commands, and many data pipeline tools because tabs rarely appear inside data fields — eliminating quoting headaches.
Both are plain-text formats for tabular data. CSV (Comma-Separated Values) uses a comma as the field delimiter, while TSV (Tab-Separated Values) uses a tab character. TSV is often safer when data fields themselves contain commas — no quoting is needed.
Yes. The converter uses PHP's native fgetcsv() parser, which is RFC 4180 compliant. Fields wrapped in double quotes — including those containing commas, newlines, or special characters — are handled correctly.
Absolutely. Select Semicolon ( ; ) from the Input Delimiter dropdown. European CSV exports commonly use semicolons because the comma is used as a decimal separator in those locales.
The conversion happens entirely in your browser via JavaScript for real-time feedback. No data leaves your machine. This makes it safe for sensitive or confidential spreadsheets.
Open Google Sheets → File → Import → Upload your .tsv file. On the import settings screen, select Tab as the separator type and click Import Data.
Embedded tabs in source fields are automatically replaced with four spaces to prevent broken columns in the TSV output. Newlines inside quoted fields are replaced with a single space.
A CSV to TSV converter is a tool that transforms a comma-separated values file into a tab-separated values file. Both formats store tabular data as plain text, but they use different characters to divide columns. By switching the delimiter from a comma to a tab character (\t), you make your data compatible with a wider range of software — including spreadsheet applications, relational databases, and command-line data tools.
This free online converter processes everything inside your browser. No files are uploaded to any server, making it a safe choice for confidential business data, personally identifiable information, or any dataset where privacy matters.
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On the surface, swapping a comma for a tab sounds trivial. In practice, the choice of delimiter has real consequences for data integrity and portability.
Commas appear naturally in many kinds of data: addresses (123 Main St, Apt 4), currency formatted numbers (1,250.00), names with suffixes, and free-text descriptions. When a CSV parser encounters a comma inside a data field, it needs the field to be wrapped in double quotes — and those quotes sometimes introduce their own quoting or escaping issues across different parsers.
Tab characters almost never appear inside normal text data. This makes TSV a more robust format: you rarely need to quote fields, and the structure is unambiguous.
Several import scenarios specifically require or prefer TSV:
awk, cut, and paste — default to tab as the field separatorThe converter follows a straightforward two-step process: parse the source CSV respecting its quoting rules, then reassemble each row using tab characters.
CSV parsing is trickier than it looks. A naive split-on-comma approach breaks the moment a field contains a comma inside quotes. This tool uses a proper RFC 4180 parser that handles:
"") inside quoted fieldsEach parsed field is joined with a tab character instead of a comma. Fields that previously needed quoting no longer require it in most cases — unless they contain a tab themselves (which the tool handles by replacing embedded tabs with spaces).
Not all "CSV" files actually use commas. Many applications export data with alternative delimiters while still saving the file with a .csv extension. This converter supports:
Go to File → Import → Upload, select your .tsv file, then on the import options dialog set Separator type to Tab. Click Import data and your table will load perfectly structured.
Open a blank workbook, go to Data → From Text/CSV, select your .tsv file, and in the preview screen set the delimiter to Tab. Excel will display a clean column preview before you finalize the import.
Once you have your .tsv file on the server, use:
LOAD DATA INFILE '/path/to/file.tsv'
INTO TABLE my_table
FIELDS TERMINATED BY '\t'
LINES TERMINATED BY '\n'
IGNORE 1 ROWS;The IGNORE 1 ROWS skips a header row if your TSV includes column names in the first line.
COPY my_table FROM '/path/to/file.tsv'
WITH (FORMAT TEXT, DELIMITER E'\t', HEADER true);TSV is not the only alternative to CSV. Here is a quick comparison of common tabular data formats to help you choose:
For most data migration, import/export, and ETL tasks involving flat tables, TSV is an excellent choice. It strikes the right balance between human readability and machine parsability.