TSV ↔ CSV Converter
Convert between tab-separated values and comma-separated values with proper quoting, escaping, and multiline support.
About This Tool
The TSV to CSV Converter is a free browser-based tool that converts between tab-separated values (TSV) and comma-separated values (CSV) formats. Both TSV and CSV are plain-text tabular data formats used extensively in data processing, spreadsheet applications, database exports, and data interchange between systems. While CSV uses commas to separate fields and TSV uses tab characters, converting between them is not always as simple as replacing one delimiter with another — proper handling of quoting, escaping, and multiline values is essential.
This converter implements full RFC 4180 compliant parsing, which means it correctly handles fields containing commas, tab characters, newline characters, and quote characters. When a field contains the target delimiter or special characters, the converter automatically wraps it in quotes and escapes internal quotes by doubling them. You can customize the CSV delimiter (comma, semicolon, or pipe), the quote character (double or single quotes), and toggle header row recognition.
The tool provides a live data preview table so you can visually inspect how your data is being parsed before converting. This is especially useful when working with data exported from spreadsheet applications like Excel or Google Sheets, which may include unexpected quoting or encoding.
All processing happens entirely in your browser using JavaScript. Your data never leaves your machine — there are no server round-trips, no logging, and no third-party services involved. This makes it safe to use with sensitive data such as customer records, financial data, or internal reports. If you need to convert tabular data to a structured format, check out the CSV to JSON converter. For aligning text columns visually, try the Text Column Aligner. To generate Markdown tables from tabular data, see the Markdown Table Generator.
How to Use
- Select the conversion direction using the TSV → CSV / CSV → TSV toggle button.
- Paste your tab-separated or comma-separated data into the Input panel on the left.
- The converted output appears instantly in the Output panel on the right.
- Adjust the CSV Delimiter if your CSV uses semicolons or pipes instead of commas.
- Toggle Header Row to control whether the first row is treated as column headers in the preview table.
- Click Preview to show or hide the parsed data table below the panels.
- Use Download to save the output as a .csv or .tsv file, or press Ctrl+Shift+C to copy the output to your clipboard.
Popular TSV / CSV Conversion Examples
FAQ
What is the difference between TSV and CSV?
TSV (Tab-Separated Values) uses tab characters to separate fields, while CSV (Comma-Separated Values) uses commas. TSV is simpler because tabs rarely appear in data, so quoting is less often needed. CSV is more widely supported by spreadsheet applications and databases, but requires quoting rules to handle fields that contain commas, newlines, or quote characters.
How are quoted fields handled during conversion?
The converter follows RFC 4180 rules. If a field contains the target delimiter, a quote character, or a newline, it is automatically wrapped in quotes. Any quote characters inside the field are escaped by doubling them (e.g., a double quote becomes two double quotes). This ensures the output can be correctly parsed by any standards-compliant CSV/TSV reader.
Can I convert CSV files that use semicolons instead of commas?
Yes. Use the CSV Delimiter dropdown to select Semicolon (;) or Pipe (|) as your delimiter. This is common in European locales where the comma is used as a decimal separator, so semicolons are used as the field delimiter in CSV files.
How are multiline values handled?
Fields that contain newline characters (line breaks within a cell) are preserved correctly during conversion. These fields are automatically quoted in the output to ensure the newlines are treated as part of the field value rather than as row separators.
Is there a size limit for the data I can convert?
There is no hard limit, but very large files (over 10 MB) may cause your browser to slow down since all processing happens client-side. For best performance with large datasets, consider splitting them into smaller chunks.
Is my data safe?
Yes. All parsing and conversion runs entirely in your browser using JavaScript. No data is sent to any server. You can verify this by checking the Network tab in your browser's developer tools while using the tool.
Can I use this tool to clean up data exported from Excel?
Yes. Excel often exports CSV files with inconsistent quoting or uses tab-delimited formats. This tool correctly parses both formats and re-serializes them with consistent quoting rules, making the output cleaner and more compatible with other tools and databases.
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