How to open a .tsv file
Quick, free ways to open TSV on any system.
A .tsv file is a Tab-Separated Values. If double-clicking does nothing, your computer simply does not have an app that reads TSV yet. Here is how to fix that on each operating system, using free software wherever possible.
Open a .tsv file step by step
- Confirm the file really is a .tsv. Drop it into the WhatFileType file identifier, which reads its signature without uploading anything.
- On Windows, open it with Excel or VS Code.
- On Mac, use Numbers or Excel.
- On Linux, try LibreOffice Calc or VS Code.
- Still stuck? Convert the .tsv to CSV, which opens more widely.
Best apps to open .tsv files
Windows
- Excel
- VS Code
- any text editor
macOS
- Numbers
- Excel
- any text editor
Linux
- LibreOffice Calc
- VS Code
- column -t
!
Before you open it: Safe. TSV is plain-text data. As with CSV, be cautious opening untrusted files in a spreadsheet, which may interpret leading = as a formula.
Frequently asked questions
Why can't I open my .tsv file?
Almost always because no installed app understands TSV. Install one of the apps above, or convert the file to a format your existing software already reads.
What is the difference between TSV and CSV?
TSV separates columns with tabs, CSV with commas. Tabs seldom appear in values, so TSV usually needs no quoting, making it simpler for messy text.
How do I open a TSV file?
Open it in Excel, Numbers or LibreOffice Calc, which lay it out as a table, or view the raw tabs in any text editor.