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How do I convert a TSV file to CSV?

Short answer

Paste your tab-separated data into a browser-based TSV to CSV converter and it swaps the tabs for commas, quoting any field that contains a comma, quote or line break so the CSV stays valid. The conversion runs on your device, so a data export is never uploaded, and the result imports cleanly into spreadsheets and databases.

Tabs versus commas

TSV and CSV are the same idea, a plain-text table, with a different separator: TSV uses tab characters between fields while CSV uses commas. Converting is not just a find-and-replace, because a field that itself contains a comma has to be wrapped in quotes so it is not mistaken for a column break. A real converter applies those CSV quoting rules while it swaps the delimiter, so nothing gets misaligned.

Why you end up needing CSV

You often get TSV when copying a block straight out of a spreadsheet or from a tool that exports tab-separated text, but the system you are feeding wants CSV specifically. Rather than fiddling with the delimiter by hand and risking broken rows, a converter does it reliably. Since these tables can hold real records, running the conversion in your browser keeps the data off any server.

Step by step

  1. Paste the TSV. Paste your tab-separated text into the converter.
  2. Convert locally. The tool swaps tabs for commas and quotes fields as needed in your browser.
  3. Save the CSV. Copy or download the CSV for your spreadsheet or import.

Frequently asked questions

What if a field contains a comma?

The converter wraps that field in quotes so the comma inside it is not treated as a column separator.

Where does TSV usually come from?

Often from copying cells out of a spreadsheet or an export that uses tabs between fields.

Is my data uploaded?

No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.

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