TSV to JSON Converter

How to use the TSV to JSON Converter

1. 1Paste your TSV into the box on the left, or press Try a sample to see how it works.
2. 2Check the options above the boxes; they only show the ones that matter for TSV to JSON.
3. 3Read the JSON output on the right. It updates as you type.
4. 4If an error appears, it names the line of the TSV that could not be read; fix it and the output returns.
5. 5Press Copy result, or Download to save a JSON file.

Why people convert TSV to JSON

The two formats suit different jobs. TSV is a plain table where a tab character splits the columns and each line is a row; people meet it in copy and paste from spreadsheets, bioinformatics files and database dumps. JSON is a text format built from curly-brace objects, square-bracket lists, strings, numbers, true, false and null; people meet it in web APIs, app settings and browser code. A move from TSV to JSON usually happens when data created in one place has to be used in another, and retyping it by hand would be slow and error-prone.

The first line of the tab-separated text supplies the keys and every following line becomes one object in a JSON list. With the number option on, a column that holds 30 becomes the number 30 and the words true and false become real booleans; turn it off to keep everything as text.

How the TSV to JSON conversion works

The tool first reads your TSV into a plain structure of rows or objects, so it knows what is a key and what is a value. It then writes that structure again in the JSON style. Because nothing is guessed about the content, the values you see in the JSON are the ones that were in the TSV.

Choose an indent of two or four spaces to match the style of your project.

• Paste the TSV exactly as it is, including the header line if there is one.
• Use Try a sample to see how a small TSV turns into JSON before using your own data.
• Read the JSON before you use it; check that special characters came through as you expect.

Tips for a clean JSON result

Start with tidy TSV: the same keys or columns in every record give the neatest JSON. If your TSV has stray blank lines or an inconsistent number of items, tidy them first, or the JSON will show empty values where something is missing.

Keep a copy of the original TSV. The conversion works well for data, but formatting such as colours, formulas and comments belongs to the program that made the file and does not travel into plain JSON.

Quotation marks matter in TSV: a value that contains the separator, a quote or a line break is written inside quotes, and the converter reads those quotes correctly so a name like Smith, John stays in one cell.

On phone and computer

On a computer, paste with Ctrl+V or Cmd+V, check the JSON and use Copy result. On a phone, long-press in the left box to paste, and use the Download button to save a JSON file you can send from the share menu.

The two boxes sit side by side on a wide screen and one above the other on a narrow one, so you can read both without zooming. Wide tables with many columns are easier to check on a computer, but short lists work fine on a phone. After converting, JSON Validator confirms the output is well formed and JSON Formatter makes it readable. Data Format Converter covers more format pairs, and CSV Tools helps you tidy the table before conversion.

Features

• Converts TSV to JSON as you type
• Clear error messages that name the problem in the TSV
• Sample data to try first
• Copy result or download as a file
• Private: runs in your browser, nothing uploaded
• Works on phone and computer

Frequently asked questions