Convert CSV to TSV Online Free

Convert comma-separated data to tab-separated format. Tabs align columns cleanly in text editors, and many bioinformatics and database tools prefer TSV input.

Quick Answer

To convert CSV to TSV, drop your .csv file onto the converter. Commas are replaced with tabs, quoted fields are unquoted where possible, and the result is a clean tab-separated file. Runs entirely in your browser.

Free, no signup Files stay on your device Under 1 minute

100% browser-based

No file size limits

Works offline

No data uploaded

Convert CSV to TSV

Drop your CSV file here to convert it instantly

⇄

Drag & drop your .csv file here, or click to browse

Your file never leaves your browser

CSV vs TSV: Format Comparison

Key differences between the two formats

Feature	CSV	TSV
Delimiter	Comma (,)	Tab character (\t)
Column alignment	Not aligned in text view	Columns align naturally in editors
Quoting complexity	Values with commas must be quoted	Rarely needs quoting
Clipboard pasting	Commas can cause column splits	Tabs map to spreadsheet columns
Bioinformatics	Less common	Standard format (BED, VCF, GFF)
Command-line tools	Needs delimiter flag	Works with cut, awk, paste by default
Excel compatibility	Opens with delimiter dialog	Paste directly from clipboard

When to Convert

Common scenarios where this conversion is useful

Bioinformatics workflows

Many bioinformatics tools and file formats (BED, VCF, GFF, SAM) use tab separation. Convert CSV data to TSV for genomics and proteomics pipelines.

Command-line data processing

Unix tools like cut, awk, paste, and sort work with tab-separated data by default. Convert CSV to TSV for smoother command-line workflows.

Spreadsheet clipboard pasting

When you paste TSV data from the clipboard into Excel or Google Sheets, columns are automatically detected. Convert CSV to TSV for easy copy-paste workflows.

Database bulk loading

Some databases (MySQL LOAD DATA, PostgreSQL COPY) handle TSV more reliably than CSV, since tab characters are rare in data values.

How to Convert CSV to TSV

1

Upload your CSV file

Drag and drop your .csv file onto the converter, or click to browse. Comma, semicolon, and other delimiters are auto-detected.
2

Automatic conversion

Your CSV is parsed with proper handling of quoted fields, then re-serialized with tab delimiters.
3

Download the TSV result

Click Download to save your .tsv file. The output uses standard tab delimiters between columns.

Frequently Asked Questions

How are values containing tabs handled?

Tab characters within field values are rare, but if present, the field is quoted in the TSV output to prevent delimiter confusion.

Are quoted CSV fields unquoted in TSV?

Yes. Fields that were quoted in CSV only because they contained commas no longer need quotes in TSV and are output as plain values.

Does it handle CSV with semicolons?

Yes. The parser auto-detects the CSV delimiter, so semicolon-separated files (common in European locales) are handled correctly.

What about multiline fields?

CSV fields with embedded newlines are preserved in the TSV output. The field is quoted if it contains newlines or tab characters.

Is the column count preserved?

Yes. Every row has the same number of tab-separated fields as the original CSV, including empty trailing fields.

Can I convert large files?

Yes. Files with millions of rows work well. Performance depends on your device's available memory.

What encoding is used?

UTF-8 encoding is used for the output, preserving all international characters from the input.

Is my data safe?

Yes. All processing occurs in your browser. Your data is never uploaded to any server.

Related Conversions

Ready to convert your file?

Convert CSV to TSV instantly - free, private, no signup required.

Start Converting