Free Online TSV to CSV Converter
Convert tab-separated data (TSV) to comma-separated format (CSV) instantly. Automatically handles quoting for fields that contain commas or special characters.
How the TSV to CSV Converter Works
This tool converts tab-separated values (TSV) to comma-separated values (CSV) by replacing tab characters with commas. Fields that contain commas, double quotes, or newlines are automatically wrapped in double quotes following RFC 4180 standards, ensuring the output is valid CSV that can be opened in any spreadsheet application.
When to Use TSV vs CSV
TSV (Tab-Separated Values) uses tab characters as delimiters and is commonly exported by databases, spreadsheet applications, and data analysis tools. CSV is more widely supported and is the standard format for data interchange. Converting TSV to CSV makes your data compatible with more applications and services that expect comma-delimited input.
Handling Special Characters
The converter properly handles edge cases where field values contain commas (which would conflict with CSV delimiters), double quotes (which are escaped by doubling), and newlines within fields. Empty fields are preserved as empty values in the CSV output. This ensures data integrity during the conversion process.
Frequently Asked Questions
How does it handle fields with commas?
Fields containing commas are automatically wrapped in double quotes in the CSV output. This prevents the comma in the data from being interpreted as a field delimiter. For example, "New York, NY" becomes a properly quoted CSV field.
What if my TSV has quoted fields?
The converter handles double quotes in field values by escaping them (doubling the quote character) according to CSV standards. A field containing a double quote will be properly escaped in the output.
Can I convert CSV back to TSV?
This tool converts TSV to CSV only. The reverse conversion (replacing commas with tabs) is simpler but requires handling quoted fields. You can paste CSV into the CSV to JSON tool and then format the output as needed.
Does it preserve empty rows?
Empty rows (lines with only whitespace) are skipped during conversion to produce clean CSV output. Rows with empty fields (consecutive tabs) are preserved with the empty field values intact.
What is the maximum file size?
Since processing is entirely in-browser, the limit depends on your device memory. TSV data with tens of thousands of rows works well on modern devices. For very large files exceeding several megabytes, a command-line tool may be more efficient.