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TSV to CSV Converter

Convert tab-separated values into proper CSV in your browser, with RFC 4180 quoting — comma fields are quoted and internal quotes are doubled.

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Quick Answer

Paste tab-separated values and get CSV. Each line becomes a row, split on tabs, then rejoined with commas. The tool applies proper RFC 4180 quoting: a field with a comma or a quote is wrapped in double quotes, and any double quote inside a field is doubled. It runs entirely in your browser.

What the TSV to CSV Converter Does

This converts TSV — tab-separated values — into CSV. Each tab marks a column, so every line is split on tabs and the fields are rejoined with commas.

Because commas are common in text, the tool quotes any field that contains a comma or a double quote and doubles internal quotes, following RFC 4180. That keeps your data unambiguous as CSV.

How It Works

Paste or type your tab-separated text. Each line is one record.

Each line is split on tab characters into fields, then the fields are joined with commas.

A field containing a comma or a quote is wrapped in double quotes, with internal quotes doubled. Copy or download the CSV — all in your browser.

Data source & conversion logic

  1. Split lines. The text is divided into lines, one per record.
  2. Split on tabs. Each line is broken into fields at every tab character.
  3. Quote where needed. A field with a comma or quote is wrapped and its internal quotes doubled, per RFC 4180.
  4. Join with commas. Fields are joined with commas and output as CSV to copy or download.

How TSV becomes CSV

Each line = one CSV row Split each line on a tab character Join the fields with commas A field with a comma or quote is wrapped, and internal quotes are doubled
Worked example
A tab-separated line of name then age becomes name,age. A value containing a comma is wrapped in double quotes, and a value that already contains a quote has that quote doubled, per RFC 4180.

TSV does not allow a tab inside a field, so every tab is a genuine column break.

Privacy

Your TSV is processed entirely in your browser — there is no server and nothing is uploaded.

The data never leaves your device, so even sensitive records stay private.

No account, no stored copy; the conversion is gone when you close the tab.

Technical Details

InputTSV (tab-separated)
Column breakTab character
OutputCSV (.csv)
QuotingRFC 4180 (quotes doubled)
Field tabsNot allowed in TSV
StandardRFC 4180 output
Processing100% in-browser

Standards & references

  • Tab-separated values (IANA) — TSV separates fields with tabs and does not allow a tab or line break inside a field, so each tab is a clean delimiter.
  • RFC 4180 (CSV) — Output follows the CSV standard: comma- or quote-bearing fields are quoted and internal quotes are doubled.

Accuracy & Limitations

Splitting is on the tab character only, which suits true TSV — a format that does not allow a tab inside a field. If your data has stray tabs inside values, those will be read as extra columns.

Quoting follows RFC 4180. A field with a comma or a quote is wrapped in double quotes, and any double quote inside it is doubled, so the resulting CSV is unambiguous.

Each line is treated as one record. TSV does not allow a line break inside a field, so multi-line values are not supported.

Numbers and text are passed through unchanged; only the delimiter and quoting change.

Real-World Use Cases

Spreadsheet export

Convert tab-separated data copied or exported from a spreadsheet into CSV.

Database dump

Turn a tab-delimited query result into a CSV file.

Tool interchange

Feed a CSV-only tool from a TSV source.

Safer commas

Move from tabs to CSV without breaking values that contain commas.

When to use it — and when not to

Good for

  • True tab-separated data
  • Producing standards-compliant CSV
  • Values that contain commas or quotes

Not the best choice for

  • Space-aligned text (use text to CSV)
  • Values that contain tabs or line breaks
  • Data that is already CSV

If your columns are separated by spaces rather than tabs, use the text to CSV converter. To view CSV as a table, use the CSV viewer.

Frequently Asked Questions

What separates the columns?
The tab character. Each tab in a line marks a column break.
Does it follow RFC 4180?
Yes. It wraps a field that contains a comma or a quote and doubles any internal quote, which is the RFC 4180 escaping rule.
Can a field contain a tab?
No. TSV disallows a tab inside a field, so a stray tab is read as a new column.
Does it handle commas in values?
Yes. A field that contains a comma is wrapped in double quotes so the comma is not read as a column break.
What about a value with a double quote?
The quote is doubled and the field is wrapped, exactly as RFC 4180 specifies.
Are multi-line values supported?
No. TSV does not allow a line break inside a field, so each line is one complete record.
How is this different from text to CSV?
The text to CSV tool splits on tabs or runs of two or more spaces and does not double internal quotes. This one splits strictly on tabs and applies full RFC 4180 quoting.
What format do I get?
A CSV (.csv) you can copy or download.
Does it change my numbers?
No. Only the delimiter and quoting change; the values pass through as-is.
Is my data uploaded?
No. The conversion runs entirely in your browser.
Can I go from CSV back to TSV?
Not with this tool, but a spreadsheet can re-export the data as TSV.
Is there an official TSV spec?
IANA registers TSV as a media type, but there is no single strict standard, so the handling of quotes and backslashes varies between tools.

References

Splits each line on tabs and rejoins with commas, applying RFC 4180 quoting: a field containing a comma or a double quote is wrapped, and internal quotes are doubled. Runs entirely in your browser. TSV does not allow a tab inside a field, so each tab is a clean column break.

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