RividTech

TSV to CSV

Convert tab-separated values (TSV) to comma-separated values (CSV).

Drop a file or click to browse

or paste data below

Need the reverse conversion? CSV to TSV

How TSV to CSV works

Quoting is added where CSV needs it

In TSV, a comma is ordinary text. In CSV it separates fields. So any value that contains a comma, such as Brass, 40cm, is wrapped in double quotes in the output. A value containing a double quote is quoted too, with the inner quote doubled ("Says ""hello"""), and so is a value with a line break. Everything else is written without quotes.

This follows RFC 4180, the closest thing CSV has to a standard, so Excel, Google Sheets, pandas, PostgreSQL COPY, and most import tools read the result the same way.

Pasting from a spreadsheet

When you copy cells in Excel, Google Sheets, or Numbers, the clipboard holds tab-separated text. Paste it here and you get a CSV of exactly that range, which is handy when you only need part of a sheet and do not want to export the whole workbook.

The first pasted row is treated as the header, so include the header row in your selection. Values are kept as text, so leading zeros and formatted numbers such as 1,200 come through as they were displayed when copied.

If you only need to read the data, open it in the CSV & TSV preview without converting it. The CSV vs TSV vs JSON guide compares the same records in each format.

Output details

Rows end with CRLF line breaks, which is what RFC 4180 specifies and what Excel writes. Blank lines and all-empty rows are dropped. If a row has more tab-separated fields than the header, the extras are dropped and a warning names the row, which usually points to a stray tab inside a value.

Example

The note with a comma is quoted, and the quotes around hello are doubled inside a quoted field.

TSV input
product	notes	price
Lamp	Brass, 40cm	24.50
Mug	Says "hello"	8
CSV output
product,notes,price
Lamp,"Brass, 40cm",24.50
Mug,"Says ""hello""",8

How to use TSV to CSV

  1. 1

    Paste tab-separated text, such as cells copied from a spreadsheet, or drop a .tsv file.

  2. 2

    Make sure the first line contains the column names.

  3. 3

    Check any row warnings, then copy the CSV or download converted.csv.

When to use it

Spreadsheet range to file

Copy a filtered range from a sheet and save it as a proper CSV for an import or a colleague.

Database client exports

Many SQL clients copy query results as tab-separated text; convert them to CSV for tools that expect commas.

TSV to CSV questions

Why are some values wrapped in quotes?

Values that contain a comma, a double quote, or a line break must be quoted in CSV, or they would be split into extra columns.

Can I convert a .txt export from a database client?

Yes, as long as columns are separated by tabs. Upload the file or paste its contents.

Will Excel open the CSV correctly?

Yes for standard settings. In regions where Excel uses a semicolon list separator, use Data > From Text/CSV and choose comma as the delimiter.

Questions about privacy, file size, or accounts are answered on the FAQ page.

Other tools in the same category, starting with the reverse conversion

Search all tools
CSVTSV

CSV to TSV

Convert comma-separated values to tab-separated values without breaking quoted fields

CSVJSON

CSV to JSON

Turn CSV or TSV rows into a JSON array of objects keyed by the header row

CSVSQL

CSV to SQL

Generate CREATE TABLE and INSERT statements from CSV or TSV for MySQL, PostgreSQL, or SQLite

CSVTable

CSV & TSV Preview

View CSV or TSV as a readable table and export the table as an image