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TSV to XML Converter

Convert TSV (Tab-Separated Values) data into XML. Paste tab-delimited data and get one XML element per row, with configurable root and row tag names.

Category: data
Use Case: Data Migration, Legacy System Integration, Spreadsheet Export
Privacy: 100% browser-based

Conversion Options

Recommended Settings

Pro Tips

  • The header row's column names become the XML element names inside each row
  • Column names with spaces or symbols are automatically sanitized into valid XML tag names
  • Empty cells become self-closing tags like <field/> instead of empty open/close pairs
  • Enable unescaping if your TSV has literal \t, \n, or \r sequences that should become real characters
  • Special characters (&, <, >, quotes) in values are automatically escaped

Most Popular

Most users keep the default 'table'/'row' tag names and pretty printing enabled

When to Use This Tool

Legacy System Integration

Convert TSV data exports into XML for import into legacy systems, SOAP APIs, or enterprise tools that require XML rather than JSON or CSV.

Data Migration

Bridge TSV-exporting tools and XML-based data pipelines by converting tab-delimited exports directly into XML documents.

Command-Line Data Processing

Convert TSV output from Unix tools like awk or cut into XML for downstream tools that expect structured markup.

Custom XML Schemas

Use the configurable root and row tag names to quickly produce XML that matches a specific schema your downstream tooling expects.

How It Works

1

Split the TSV input into rows on newlines, and each row into cells on tab characters

2

Optionally unescape literal \t, \n, and \r sequences back into real characters

3

Use the first row as column headers, or generate generic column1, column2... names if there's no header row

4

Sanitize column names and the root/row tag names into valid XML element names

5

Build one XML element per row, escape special characters in values, and assemble the final XML document

100% Private

Files never leave your device. All processing happens locally in your browser.

Lightning Fast

Powered by Pure JavaScript for optimal performance on modern browsers.

Secure

No data collection, no tracking, no sign-up required.

Frequently Asked Questions

What TSV format does this tool expect?

Standard tab-delimited data: rows separated by newlines, columns separated by tab characters. By default, the first row is treated as column headers.

Can I customize the XML element names?

Yes. Set the Root Tag (the outermost element wrapping all rows) and Row Tag (the element repeated for each data row) to match whatever schema your target system expects.

What happens if a column name isn't valid XML?

Column names are automatically sanitized: spaces and invalid symbols are replaced with underscores, and a leading underscore is added if the name would otherwise start with a digit or symbol.

How are empty cells represented?

An empty cell is written as a self-closing element, like <notes/>, rather than an empty open/close pair, keeping the output compact and unambiguous.

What if my TSV doesn't have a header row?

Disable 'First row contains headers' and every row will be treated as data, with generic tag names like column1, column2 generated based on the widest row.