TSV - tab-separated - JSON
Convert TSV to JSON
Updated: May 2026
TSV uses a tab character between columns. It is often more robust than CSV when text values contain commas or semicolons. With the tab delimiter selected, TSV can become a clean JSON array in seconds.
Free - No upload - Browser-based conversion
TSV vs CSV: when to use TSV
CSV becomes ambiguous when field values contain the delimiter character. A product description like "Red, blue, and green" inside a comma-delimited CSV requires the field to be quoted — and if the quoting is inconsistent or missing, parsers break. TSV sidesteps this entirely: a tab character almost never appears inside a text value, so quoting is rarely needed.
Practical cases where TSV is preferable to CSV: prices in formats like £1,999.99 (contain commas), addresses ("123 Main St, Suite 4"), multi-word descriptions, and any data already copied from a spreadsheet where tabs appear naturally between cells.
Copying from Google Sheets produces TSV
When you select a range in Google Sheets and press Ctrl+C (or Cmd+C on Mac), the clipboard contains tab-separated text. Paste it directly into the Flowfiles tool with the tab delimiter selected and the result is a clean JSON array — no file download needed.
The same applies to Excel: select cells, copy, paste into the tool. The clipboard format is TSV by default for tabular data.
SQL exports and TSV
Several database tools offer tab-delimited export as an option:
- SQL Server Management Studio (SSMS) — Results to File with tab as delimiter.
- pgAdmin — Copy with headers option produces TSV.
- MySQL Workbench — Export tab-separated via the Export Resultset option.
- DBeaver — Copy as TSV from the result grid.
These exports land as .tsv or .txt files. Paste the content into the tool or open the file in a text editor, copy, and paste.
TSV to JSON example
name price category
Widget A 12.50 Tools
Widget B 8.99 HomeWith the tab delimiter selected, the JSON output is:
[
{"name":"Widget A","price":"12.50","category":"Tools"},
{"name":"Widget B","price":"8.99","category":"Home"}
]How to do it with Flowfiles
- Open the JSON CSV tool.
- Switch to CSV to JSON mode.
- Choose the tab delimiter.
- Paste the TSV content (from a file, Google Sheets, or a database tool).
- Convert and download or copy the JSON.
Frequently asked questions
How do I create a TSV from Excel?
Select the cells you want to export, then use File > Save As and choose "Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt)" as the format. Alternatively, select and copy the cells — the clipboard will contain tab-separated text you can paste directly into the tool.
Does copy-paste from Excel produce TSV?
Yes. When you copy a cell range from Excel or Google Sheets, the clipboard stores the data as tab-separated values with CRLF line endings. Pasting into the Flowfiles tool with the tab delimiter selected processes this correctly.
Can TSV and CSV be mixed?
No. A single file uses one delimiter throughout. If your data has mixed delimiters (some lines with tabs, others with commas), you need to normalize the separator before converting. Use a text editor with find-and-replace to standardize.
Do line breaks inside a cell cause problems?
Yes. TSV does not have a standard quoting mechanism for multi-line values the way CSV does. A literal newline inside a cell will be interpreted as the end of a row. If your data contains multi-line fields, CSV with proper quoting is a more reliable format.
Can I export the result as CSV instead of JSON?
Yes. Open the tool in JSON to CSV mode, paste the JSON you just created, and download it as a comma or semicolon delimited CSV. This lets you use Flowfiles as a TSV-to-CSV bridge as well.
Does the tool auto-detect tab separation?
The tool can attempt delimiter detection, but for reliable results it is better to set the delimiter manually. If your TSV is detected as CSV (no column split), explicitly select the tab option in the delimiter dropdown.