JSON to TSV Converter — Convert JSON to Tab-Separated Values Online

JSON to TSV Converter

This converter turns JSON into TSV (tab-separated values) as you type. Each object becomes a row and each key becomes a column, with nested objects flattened into columns like address.city. A table preview shows exactly how the data will look in a spreadsheet, and you can copy the TSV and paste it straight into Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers. It also converts TSV back into JSON.

How to Convert JSON to TSV

1. Paste your JSON into the left box, or load or drop a .json file.
2. Check the result in the Table preview, or switch to Text to see the raw TSV.
3. Adjust how nested objects, arrays, null values and special characters are handled if needed.
4. Click Copy and paste into a spreadsheet, or Download a .tsv file.

What JSON Can Be Converted?

• An array of objects, the most common case, such as [{"id":1,"name":"Ada"}, …]. Each object becomes one row.
• A single object, which becomes one row.
• API responses where the records sit inside a wrapper, such as {"data": {"items": [ … ]}}. The tool finds the array of records automatically and lets you choose a different one under Rows from.
• JSON Lines / NDJSON, with one JSON object per line, as used in log files and data exports.
• Arrays of plain values, such as [1, 2, 3], which become a single column named value.

Objects don't need matching keys. Every key found in any record becomes a column, and records without that key get an empty cell.

Flattening Nested JSON

Spreadsheets have no concept of nesting, so nested objects are flattened into dot-notation columns. For example, {"user": {"name": "Ada", "address": {"city": "London"}}} becomes the columns user.name and user.address.city. If you'd rather keep a nested object in a single cell, choose Keep as JSON text.

Arrays Inside Records

• JSON text keeps the array in one cell, such as ["math","poetry"]. This is the safest option.
• Join values lists simple values separated by commas, such as math, poetry, which is easier to read in a spreadsheet.
• Column per item spreads the array across numbered columns, such as tags.0 and tags.1. Arrays of objects are flattened too, as in orders.0.total.

Tabs and Line Breaks Inside Values

In TSV, a tab means "next column" and a line break means "next row", so a value that contains either would split across cells and misalign the table. Choose how to handle them:

• Escape as \t and \n (default) replaces them with the two-character sequences \t and \n, and backslashes become \\. This is the common convention for TSV files and is fully reversible.
• Wrap in quotes puts the value in double quotes, the way Excel and Google Sheets expect when pasting, and keeps the real line breaks inside the cell.
• Replace with a space gives the cleanest-looking cells but can't be reversed.

The tool tells you how many values were affected, so nothing changes silently.

Why Use TSV Instead of CSV?

CSV separates columns with commas, so any value that contains a comma, such as an address, a price like 1,299 or a sentence, has to be wrapped in quotes, and different programs handle those quotes inconsistently. Tabs almost never appear in real data, which makes TSV simpler and more reliable for copying between programs. When you paste TSV into a spreadsheet, every value lands in its own cell without an import wizard.

Converting TSV to JSON

Switch to TSV → JSON to go the other way. The first row is used as the keys. Columns with dot notation, such as address.city, are rebuilt into nested objects, and numbered columns like tags.0 become arrays again. Numbers, true, false and null are converted to real JSON types, while values with leading zeros, such as ZIP codes like 007, stay as text. Empty cells can become empty strings, null, or be left out.

Because TSV doesn't record data types, a value that looks like a number comes back as a number. Turn off Detect numbers & true/false to keep every value as text.

Fixing Invalid JSON

If the JSON can't be read, the tool shows the line and column of the problem, with a pointer to the exact spot and a tip for the most common mistakes: single quotes instead of double quotes, and a trailing comma before } or ].

Common Questions

How do I open a TSV file in Excel?

The quickest way is to click Copy here and paste into a blank sheet: each value goes into its own cell. To open a downloaded .tsv file, use Excel's Data → From Text/CSV and choose Tab as the delimiter.

How large a file can I convert?

Files of several megabytes and tens of thousands of rows convert in a few seconds. The preview shows the first 200 rows and 60 columns, while Copy and Download always include everything.

Is my data uploaded?

No. Parsing and conversion happen in your browser, and nothing is sent to a server.