CSV to TSV

What the conversion does

Change a comma-separated table into tab-separated text. Parse quoted CSV cells before writing tab-delimited rows.

Worked example

Start with the input shown on this page: name,message Ada,"Hello, Welcome". The tool produces: name message Ada Hello, Welcome. Try the example first so you can compare the two representations. Then replace it with your own material. The result is plain text that you can copy into an editor, a test fixture or a request only after checking that its destination expects the same form.

Format rules and limits

CSV and TSV are table-shaped plain text, not spreadsheets with cell types or formulas. This converter first parses quoted fields, then writes the same rows using the other delimiter. Quotes inside a field are doubled, and a field containing the output delimiter, a quote or a line break is quoted. A line break inside a quoted field remains cell content, not a new row. The parser requires the same number of cells in each row, including the header if one is present. It does not infer whether the first row is a header, convert dates, evaluate formulas or change decimal separators. Tab-separated data has no single universally enforced quoting standard; this tool uses CSV-style double quotes for both formats and documents that convention. Inspect the output in the destination importer, particularly for embedded line breaks and leading zeroes.

Check the result

Keep the original beside the transformed text while you inspect it. Compare a small known case first, especially one containing punctuation, a non-ASCII character, a repeated value or an empty field relevant to your data. A readable output is not proof that the receiving program accepts the same schema or conventions. If you exchange data between applications, run the receiving parser and review a few records after import. Keep important source files under version control so changes are reversible. Processing takes place in your browser; this page does not send the pasted input to a conversion server. Browser memory and the clipboard still need ordinary care on shared devices.

The source and result have different roles even when they look similar. The method above defines the accepted subset rather than every extension of the named format. For a strict receiving system, try a small known case before changing many records. If validation fails, return to the original input and the first reported error; editing only the generated result can hide the cause.

After converting a table, count the columns in several rows and open the output with the exact delimiter selected in the destination importer. Include a sample cell with the output delimiter, a double quote and a line break to verify quoting. Keep identifiers with leading zeros as text; spreadsheet software may otherwise change them. The converter does not sanitize formulas for spreadsheet display.