Spreadsheets · .tsv
What Is a TSV File?
A .tsv file is a plain text table where tab characters separate the values.
- Extension
- .tsv
- Full name
- Tab-separated values
- Type
- Spreadsheet
- MIME type
- text/tab-separated-values
Free TSV Tools
These run in your browser. Your TSV files are never uploaded.
About TSV Files
TSV works like CSV but uses a tab character between columns instead of a comma. Because tabs rarely appear inside real data, TSV files rarely need quoting, which makes them simpler to read and write. Copying cells from Excel or Google Sheets puts tab-separated text on the clipboard, and many scientific and database tools export TSV. Some files use the .tab or .txt extension for the same thing.
How to Open a TSV File
- Windows & Mac
- Open it in Excel, Numbers or LibreOffice Calc. Use Data, From Text/CSV in Excel if columns don't split.
- Any device
- Import it into Google Sheets, or open it in a text editor.
TSV File Questions
Can I convert TSV to JSON?
Yes. The CSV to JSON tool on this site detects tab separators automatically.
What's the difference between TSV and CSV?
Only the separator: tabs instead of commas. TSV rarely needs quotes, CSV is more widely supported.