Convert Spaces to Tabs

The Spaces to Tabs tool replaces groups of spaces in your text with tab characters. This is useful for re-indenting code, cleaning up files, or standardizing formatting where tabs are required instead of spaces.

Paste your input above or import a file below.
No file chosen
Supported file type: text/plain (.txt)
Total lines: 0
Options
Maximize output

How to Use:

  • Paste or type your text with spaces in the input box on the left.
  • Choose how many spaces should equal one tab using the “Spaces per tab” number input in the Options box.
  • Toggle “Maximize output” to expand the output area vertically.
  • Import a .txt file by clicking “Choose File” under the input box. Supported type: .txt.
  • The tool converts matching space groups into tabs instantly as you type or import.
  • Use “Copy Output” to copy the result or “Export to File” to save it.
  • Click “Convert Spaces” to manually trigger conversion.
  • Click “Clear All” to reset input, output, file state, and counters.

What Spaces to Tabs can do:

This tool takes blocks of spaces and swaps them out for tab characters. You decide how many spaces count as a tab, and it handles all lines live. It’s useful when cleaning up indented text, fixing formatting in scripts or data files, or prepping text for editors that prefer tab characters. The live counter below the output tells you how many lines were processed. With file import, maximize toggle, and export buttons, it’s a handy quick-fix for space-heavy formatting.

Example:

Input:

Line    with    spaces
    Indented    line

Spaces per tab:

4

Output:

Line	with	spaces
	Indented	line

Common Use Cases:

The Spaces to Tabs Tool converts groups of spaces into tab characters based on your specified space width. It’s ideal for reformatting code, aligning text for cleaner indentation, preparing text files for development or publishing, converting legacy documents to tabbed layouts, and making structured data easier to read and manage.

Useful Tools & Suggestions:

After converting spaces to tabs, Normalize Text Spacing can help catch any leftover inconsistencies in alignment. And if you’re prepping content for a different system, Tabs to Spaces lets you quickly flip the formatting back without losing structure.

Related Tools