Convert Excel to TSV Online
Convert Excel files to TSV format directly in your browser. No upload required — your data never leaves your device.
About converting Excel to TSV
Excel to TSV is useful when the data contains commas. Addresses, product descriptions, notes fields and numbers with thousands separators all contain commas. In a tab-separated file those values need no quoting, which makes the file easier to read in a text editor and safer for simple scripts that split on the delimiter.
TSV is the default for a few tools. MySQL LOAD DATA and PostgreSQL COPY in text mode expect tabs unless told otherwise. Many bioinformatics and linguistics tools read tab-separated input, and Unix tools like cut and awk handle tabs cleanly. Pasting TSV into Google Sheets or back into Excel splits into columns without an import wizard.
The converter reads the first sheet only, using the text each cell displays for everything except dates. Tabs inside a cell are rare, but line breaks from Alt+Enter are common in notes columns. Those cells are wrapped in double quotes, which some strict TSV readers do not support. If a downstream tool breaks on them, replace line breaks in Excel with a space before converting. Numbers shown with a currency or percent format come through as text such as $1,200.46.
Worked example
A small orders export with an ID, a customer name, a date, an amount (one missing) and a true/false flag, converted with the default settings.
Input (Excel)
Excel workbook, first sheet (Sheet1)
| order_id | customer | order_date | amount | shipped |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1001 | Acme Ltd | 2026-03-02 | 249.5 | true |
| 1002 | Brightside Co | 2026-03-02 | 1200 | false |
| 1003 | Acme Ltd | 2026-03-05 | 89.99 | true |
| 1004 | Northwind | 2026-03-07 | NULL | false |
Output (TSV)
order_id customer order_date amount shipped
1001 Acme Ltd 2026-03-02 249.5 true
1002 Brightside Co 2026-03-02 1200 false
1003 Acme Ltd 2026-03-05 89.99 true
1004 Northwind 2026-03-07 falseWhat changes when you convert Excel to TSV
- Columns are separated by a single tab character, and the first line holds the headers from row 1.
- A cell like "Smith, John" is written without quotes, because a comma is not the delimiter here.
- Cells containing a tab, a double quote or a line break are wrapped in double quotes.
- Date cells are written as yyyy-mm-dd, such as 2026-03-02, whatever format Excel shows. Booleans are written as true or false.
- Empty cells, such as the amount for order 1004, become nothing between two tabs.
Your file is processed locally in your browser and is never uploaded. The free limit is 50 MB per file; larger files work if your device has the memory for them.
Frequently Asked Questions
Is TSV better than CSV for Excel data?
It is better when many cells contain commas and the target tool reads tabs. CSV is more widely accepted by import forms and web apps. Both hold exactly the same values after conversion.
Why are some cells in my TSV surrounded by quotes?
Those cells contain a line break, a tab or a double quote. Quoting keeps each record on one logical row. Remove line breaks in Excel with Find and Replace (Ctrl+J in the Find box) if you need unquoted output.
Can I paste the TSV output back into a spreadsheet?
Yes. Open the .tsv file in a text editor, copy everything and paste into Google Sheets or Excel. Tab-separated text is split into columns automatically on paste.
What is TSV format?
TSV (Tab-Separated Values) is similar to CSV but uses tab characters as delimiters — useful when data values contain commas.
Related Tools
Convert TSV to Excel Online
Convert TSV files to Excel format directly in your browser. No upload required — your data never leaves your device.
TSV Viewer Online
View and inspect TSV files directly in your browser. Browse rows, check column names and data types — no upload required, your data stays on your device.
Excel Viewer Online
View and inspect Excel files directly in your browser. Browse rows, check column names and data types — no upload required, your data stays on your device.
Validate Excel Files Online
Validate Excel file structure in your browser. Check null counts, distinct values, and data types for every column — no upload required.
Deduplicate Excel Files Online
Remove duplicate rows from Excel files instantly in your browser. No upload, no server — 100% private.
Convert Excel to CSV Online
Convert Excel files to CSV format directly in your browser. No upload required — your data never leaves your device.
Convert Excel to Parquet Online
Convert Excel files to Parquet format directly in your browser. No upload required — your data never leaves your device.
Convert Excel to JSON Online
Convert Excel files to JSON format directly in your browser. No upload required — your data never leaves your device.