4 Easy Steps to Convert CSV to TSV in Google Sheets

Convert CSV to TSV in Google Sheets

Converting CSV (Comma-Separated Values) files to TSV (Tab-Separated Values) files in Google Sheets is a simple and straightforward process that can be accomplished in just a few easy steps. Whether you need to share data with a program that requires TSV or simply prefer the tab-separated format, Google Sheets provides the tools to seamlessly make the conversion.

To begin, open the CSV file in Google Sheets. Once the file is open, navigate to the “File” menu and select “Save as.” In the “Save as” dialog box, choose the “Tab-separated values (.tsv)” option from the “File type” drop-down menu. Specify the desired file name and location, then click the “Save” button. Google Sheets will automatically convert the CSV data to TSV format and save it as a new file.

If you prefer, you can also use the “Import data” feature in Google Sheets to convert CSV files to TSV. Simply click the “Data” menu and select “Import data.” In the “Import data” dialog box, select the CSV file you want to convert. Under the “Import settings” section, choose the “Tab-separated values (.tsv)” option. Google Sheets will import the CSV data into a new sheet and automatically convert it to TSV format.

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Select the Data Range

To begin the conversion, select the range of data you wish to convert from CSV to TSV in your Google Sheet. This range should include all the cells containing the data you want to convert. To select a range of cells, simply click on the first cell in the range and drag the selection cursor to the last cell. Make sure that the entire range of data is highlighted before proceeding to the next step.

Actions	Description
Click and drag the cursor	To select a range of cells
Highlight the entire data range	Ensure all necessary cells are selected

Verifying the Selection

Once you have selected the data range, verify that all the desired data is included within the selected cells. Check if there are any empty cells or additional spaces within the range that should not be converted. If necessary, adjust the selection by clicking and dragging the selection cursor to modify the range.

Tip

If your data is organized into a table format with column headers, ensure that the column headers are also included in the selected range. The column headers will be used to generate the field names in the TSV file.

Edit the TSV File

After exporting the data as a TSV file, you may need to edit it to make changes or perform further analysis. To edit the TSV file:

Locate the TSV file on your computer and open it in Google Sheets.
Make any necessary changes to the data, such as correcting errors, adding new rows or columns, or deleting existing ones.
When you are finished editing the file, save it in the TSV format by selecting File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv, current sheet).

Note: When saving the file as a TSV, make sure to select the “Tab-delimited” option under the “File format” menu.

File Format	Description
Comma-separated values (.csv, current sheet)	Saves the file as a CSV file using commas as the delimiter.
Tab-delimited (.txt, current sheet)	Saves the file as a TSV file using tabs as the delimiter.

Save the TSV File

Once you’ve finished converting your CSV file to TSV, you’ll need to save it in the new format. Here’s how:

1. Click the File menu.

Select “File” from the menu bar at the top of your screen.

2. Choose “Download as.”

From the File menu, select “Download as.” A drop-down menu will appear.

3. Select “Tab-separated values (.tsv).”

From the drop-down menu, select “Tab-separated values (.tsv).” This will save your file as a TSV file.

4. Choose a location to save the file.

A dialog box will appear asking you to choose a location to save your file. Select the desired location and click “Save.”

5. Verify the file format.

Once the file has been saved, you can verify that it is in TSV format by opening it in a text editor or spreadsheet program. The file should be separated by tabs, with each row representing a single record and each column representing a field within that record.

File Editing Software	Tab Delimiter
Microsoft Excel	Control + I
Google Sheets	Control + Shift + T
Notepad++	Menu bar > Edit > Tab to Spaces

Use the Import Range Function

The IMPORTDATA function can also be used to convert a CSV file to a TSV file in Google Sheets. This function allows you to import data from an external data source, such as a CSV file, into a Google Sheets spreadsheet. To use the IMPORTDATA function, follow these steps:

Open the Google Sheets spreadsheet that you want to import the CSV file into.
Click on the “File” menu and select “Import”.
In the “Import data” dialog box, select “From text file” and click on the “Choose File” button.
Select the CSV file that you want to import and click on the “Open” button.
In the “Import data” dialog box, select the “Separate values using” option and choose “Tab” from the drop-down menu.
Click on the “Import data” button to import the CSV file into the Google Sheets spreadsheet.

The IMPORTDATA function will create a new sheet in the Google Sheets spreadsheet that contains the imported data. The data will be formatted as a table, with each row representing a record from the CSV file and each column representing a field from the CSV file.

Here is an example of how to use the IMPORTDATA function to convert a CSV file to a TSV file in Google Sheets:

“`
=IMPORTDATA(“C:\Users\username\Desktop\data.csv”)
“`

In this example, the IMPORTDATA function is used to import the data from the CSV file located at “C:\Users\username\Desktop\data.csv” into the Google Sheets spreadsheet. The imported data will be formatted as a table in a new sheet in the Google Sheets spreadsheet.

Use the Text to Columns Tool

The Text to Columns tool is a powerful feature in Google Sheets that allows you to split text data into multiple columns. This can be useful for converting CSV files to TSV files, as TSV files use tabs to separate data instead of commas.

To use the Text to Columns tool, follow these steps:

Select the data you want to convert.
Click on the “Data” menu and select “Text to columns.”
In the “Text to columns” dialog box, select the “Delimited” option.
In the “Delimiter” section, select the “Tab” option.
Click on the “Next” button.
In the “Destination” section, select the cell where you want to output the converted data.
Click on the “Finish” button.

The Text to Columns tool will now convert the selected data to a TSV file. You can then save the file as a TSV file by clicking on the “File” menu and selecting “Save as.” In the “Save as” dialog box, select the “TSV (Tab-separated values)” option from the “File type” drop-down menu.

Advanced options

The Text to Columns tool also has a number of advanced options that you can use to customize the conversion process. These options include:

Skip leading rows: This option allows you to skip a specified number of rows at the beginning of the data.
Treat consecutive delimiters as one: This option prevents the tool from splitting data that is separated by multiple consecutive delimiters.
Convert text to numbers: This option allows you to convert text data to numbers.
Date format: This option allows you to specify the date format of the data.

You can use these options to fine-tune the conversion process and ensure that the output data is in the desired format.

Example

The following table shows an example of how the Text to Columns tool can be used to convert a CSV file to a TSV file:

CSV file	TSV file
name,age,city	name\t\tage\t\tcity
John Doe,30,New York	John Doe\t\t30\t\tNew York
Jane Smith,25,London	Jane Smith\t\t25\t\tLondon

Use a Google Apps Script

Google Apps Script is a powerful tool that allows you to automate tasks in Google Sheets. You can use it to convert CSV files to TSV files with just a few lines of code. Here’s how to do it:

Open a Google Sheet.
Go to Extensions > Apps Script.
Copy and paste the following code into the script editor:

“`
function csvToTsv() {
var ss = SpreadsheetApp.getActiveSpreadsheet();
var sheet = ss.getActiveSheet();
var range = sheet.getDataRange();
var values = range.getValues();
var tsv = “”;
for (var i = 0; i < values.length; i++) {
var row = values[i];
for (var j = 0; j < row.length; j++) {
tsv += row[j] + “\t”;
}
tsv += “\n”;
}
var blob = Utilities.newBlob(tsv, “text/tab-separated-values”);
DriveApp.createFile(blob);
}
“`

Click the play button to run the script.
A new TSV file will be created in your Google Drive.

Field	Description
ss	The active spreadsheet.
sheet	The current sheet.
range	The data range in the current sheet.
values	The values in the data range.
tsv	The TSV string.
blob	The TSV blob.

Here are some additional tips for using this script:

You can specify the destination folder for the TSV file by passing a folder ID as the second argument to the createFile() function.
You can change the separator character by replacing the “\t” with another character in the tsv += row[j] + “\t”; line.
You can add additional processing to the script, such as removing empty rows or columns, or converting dates to a specific format.

Convert TSV to CSV Using a Formula

You can use a formula to convert a TSV (Tab-Separated Values) file to a CSV (Comma-Separated Values) file in Google Sheets. Here’s how it works:

1. Open the TSV file in Google Sheets.

2. Select all the data in the spreadsheet.

3. Click the “Edit” menu.

4. Click “Find and replace.”

5. In the “Find” field, enter the tab character (ASCII code 9).

6. In the “Replace with” field, enter the comma character (ASCII code 44).

7. Click the “Replace all” button.

The TSV file will now be converted to a CSV file.

Here is a table that summarizes the steps for converting a TSV file to a CSV file using a formula in Google Sheets:

Step	Action
1	Open the TSV file in Google Sheets.
2	Select all the data in the spreadsheet.
3	Click the “Edit” menu.
4	Click “Find and replace.”
5	In the “Find” field, enter the tab character (ASCII code 9).
6	In the “Replace with” field, enter the comma character (ASCII code 44).
7	Click the “Replace all” button.

Once you have completed these steps, the TSV file will be converted to a CSV file. You can then save the file in the CSV format.

How to Convert CSV to TSV in Google Sheets

Comma-separated values (CSV) and tab-separated values (TSV) are both common file formats used to store tabular data. Google Sheets allows you to easily convert CSV to TSV format.

Here are the steps to convert a CSV file to a TSV file in Google Sheets:

Open your CSV file in Google Sheets.
Go to File > Save As.
In the "File type" dropdown menu, select "Tab-separated values (.tsv)".
Click "Save".

Your CSV file will be converted to a TSV file and saved to your Google Drive.