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How to Convert TSV to CSV - Step by Step Guide

Transform tab-separated data into RFC 4180-compliant CSV for spreadsheets, databases, and data pipelines

Step 1

Input Your TSV Data

Add your TSV data from PostgreSQL exports, bioinformatics tools, analytics platforms, or any tab-delimited file. Need the reverse? Try CSV to TSV or CSV to JSON.

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Paste directly: Copy TSV data from a database export, spreadsheet paste, or text file and paste into the editor
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Upload a file: Click "Upload" to load a .tsv or .txt file directly from your machine
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Use sample data: Click "Sample" to instantly see a TSV with names, cities, and salaries converted to valid CSV
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Example: TSV Input

Fields are separated by tab characters. Fields containing commas (like Doe, John or New York, NY) need no quoting in TSV:

Name→Age→City→Salary
Doe, John→30→New York, NY→$85,000
Linnea Smith→25→London→£45,000

→ represents a tab character

Step 2

Configure Options

Adjust the output to fit your target tool — Excel, Google Sheets, or any CSV-compatible system following the RFC 4180 standard:

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Trim whitespace: When enabled, leading and trailing spaces around each field are removed before writing to CSV — useful for messy exports
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Auto-quoting: Fields that contain commas, double quotes, or newlines are automatically wrapped in double quotes and internal quotes are escaped — fully RFC 4180 compliant
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Live preview: The CSV output updates instantly as you type — no need to click Convert
Step 3

Review the CSV Output

The converter replaces each tab delimiter with a comma and automatically quotes any field that contains a comma, double quote, or newline:

Example: CSV Output

Fields containing commas are automatically quoted per RFC 4180:

Name,Age,City,Salary
"Doe, John",30,"New York, NY","$85,000"
Linnea Smith,25,London,£45,000
Step 4

Copy or Download the CSV

Use the output directly in your workflow:

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Copy to clipboard: Paste directly into Excel, Google Sheets, or any spreadsheet app — they will detect and parse the CSV format automatically
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Download as .csv: Save the file and import it into any tool that accepts CSV — databases, CRMs, analytics platforms, or ETL pipelines
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Further convert: Use CSV to JSON, CSV to XML, or CSV to SQL to continue transforming your data

What is TSV to CSV Conversion?

TSV (Tab-Separated Values) and CSV (Comma-Separated Values) are both plain-text tabular formats, but they use different delimiters. TSV uses a tab character between each field — which means fields containing commas need no quoting, making TSV simpler to produce from databases. CSV uses commas and follows the RFC 4180 standard, quoting any field that contains a comma, double quote, or newline.

Converting TSV to CSV is necessary when your target tool — Excel, Google Sheets, a CRM, or a data pipeline — expects the comma-delimited format. This converter handles the quoting automatically: any field in the TSV that contains a comma gets wrapped in double quotes in the CSV output, so the data is never corrupted. See also CSV to TSV for the reverse conversion.

Common Use Cases for TSV to CSV

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Database exports: PostgreSQL's COPY command exports TSV by default — convert to CSV for Excel or Google Sheets import
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Bioinformatics data: Genome and proteomics databases (NCBI, Ensembl) distribute data as TSV — convert to CSV for analysis in spreadsheet tools
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Analytics exports: Some analytics and BI platforms produce tab-delimited reports — convert to CSV for downstream ETL pipelines
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Spreadsheet imports: Convert TSV to CSV when your import wizard requires a .csv file extension or comma delimiter setting
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CRM and SaaS imports: Most CRMs (Salesforce, HubSpot) accept CSV uploads — convert your TSV export before importing contacts or records
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Data pipelines: Standardize mixed TSV and CSV sources into a single comma-delimited format for consistent ETL processing

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the difference between TSV and CSV?

Both are plain-text tabular formats. TSV uses a tab character as the delimiter; CSV uses a comma. Because tabs rarely appear in real data, TSV fields rarely need quoting. CSV requires quoting any field that contains a comma, making it slightly more complex but more universally supported by tools.

Does the converter handle fields with commas correctly?

Yes. Any field from the TSV that contains a comma, a double quote, or a newline is automatically wrapped in double quotes in the CSV output. Internal double quotes are escaped as "" per RFC 4180. Fields with no special characters are passed through as-is for a clean output.

Can I open the CSV output directly in Excel or Google Sheets?

Yes. Download the .csv file and open it in Excel (File → Open) or import it into Google Sheets (File → Import). Both apps will correctly parse quoted fields. Alternatively, copy the output and paste it directly into a spreadsheet — Excel and Sheets detect CSV format on paste.

What does "Trim whitespace" do?

When enabled, leading and trailing spaces around each field value are removed before writing to CSV. This is useful when TSV exports from databases or tools include padding spaces. Disable it if your data intentionally contains leading or trailing spaces.

Is my data sent to a server?

No. The entire conversion runs in your browser using JavaScript. Your TSV data is never uploaded or stored anywhere. This makes it safe for sensitive data like customer records or financial exports.

Is there a file size limit?

No hard limit — the converter processes everything in the browser. Very large files (hundreds of MB) may be slow depending on your device. For extremely large files, consider a command-line tool like awk or a script using Python's csv module.

What other TSV and CSV tools are available?

Convert in the other direction with CSV to TSV. Or convert CSV further to JSON, XML, HTML, YAML, or SQL.

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