Free online TAB to TXT converter

A legacy import tool may accept .txt files but reject the same tab-separated data under a .tab name. Converting lets you provide the expected extension while preserving the text data or re-exporting it in a required layout.

What the tab format is

In the text-files context, .tab commonly identifies tab-delimited text: rows are separated by line breaks and fields by tab characters. Spreadsheet, database, and statistical programs use it to exchange tabular data. The extension is not a universal specification, so check that the file contains readable text before treating it as tab-delimited data.

What the txt format is

.txt is a general-purpose plain-text extension with no required delimiter or table structure. Text editors, scripts, and import tools can read it; it can contain tab-separated rows or other plain text. A TXT file does not preserve spreadsheet formatting, formulas, or multiple worksheets.

How to convert TAB to TXT

Online on 101convert.com

1. Upload the TAB file on the converter page. You can process several files in one batch; each file is subject to the size limit shown on the page.
2. Choose TXT as the output format and start the conversion.
3. Download the converted file or files.

Offline with desktop software

LibreOffice Calc (Windows, macOS, and Linux) can import tab-delimited text and export a plain-text file. Open the file with File → Open; in the import dialog, select Tab as the separator. Then use File → Save As, choose Text CSV as the file type, and enter an output name ending in .txt. In the export options, set the field delimiter to Tab and select the character encoding required by the receiving program.

Microsoft Excel can also import the tab-delimited file and save it as text. Open the file using the text import options, set the delimiter to Tab, then choose File → Save As and select Text (Tab delimited) (*.txt).

If the file is already plain text and its tab-separated contents are suitable for the receiving program, renaming filename.tab to filename.txt changes only the extension, not the contents. Importing and exporting through spreadsheet software can alter leading-zero codes, long numbers, or date-like values; set sensitive columns to text during import when exact characters must be retained.