Want to update data from TSV file to SQL Server ?
Using File To DB, a native GUI tool for Windows, MacOS, and Linux, you can update data from TSV file to SQL Server easily and fast.
- Can run in GUI mode, Step by Step, just a few mouse clicks.
- Can run in Command line, for Scheduled Tasks and Streams.
- Convert locally and securely, avoid uploading large or private TSV file(s) to online services.
Download FileToDB
Windows 64 bit
Windows 32 bit
Linux .deb (For Debian, Ubuntu) 64 bit
Linux .rpm (For Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE) 64 bit
MacOS 64 bit
Update data from TSV file to SQL Server
Login to SQL Server -> Choose TSV file -> Set SQL Server table -> Update TSV to SQL Server
Choose SQL Server and logon.
Click “Wizard – 1 File To 1 Table” at task dialog.
Select the “TSV” file type.
then show the wizard.
1. Open a source TSV file.
2. Select a SQL Server table and config fields.
Set “Load Type” to “Update”, choice “By Key”.
3. Preview data.
4. Update TSV data to SQL Server .
View updateed data
Update TSV data to SQL Server in command line
Save session, and then create .bat file for Windows command line, or .sh file for Linux / macOS.
Set scheduled tasks for updating TSV data to SQL Server
You can schedule and automate this “TSV to SQL Server” conversion task by:
1) Save session and create .bat (Windows) or .sh (Linux/macOS) file.
FAQ
More about FileToDB – TSV to SQL Server converter
Download FileToDB
Windows 64 bit
Windows 32 bit
Linux .deb (For Debian, Ubuntu) 64 bit
Linux .rpm (For Red Hat, Fedora, SUSE) 64 bit
MacOS 64 bit
TSV → SQL Server reference
Type mapping
| Value kind | in TSV | in SQL Server |
|---|---|---|
| Int | 1234 | int |
| Bigint | 9007199254740993 | bigint |
| Decimal | 1234.56 | decimal(p,s) |
| Float | 1.234e+10 | float |
| Text | unquoted; a tab in the value splits the column | nvarchar(n) |
| Long text | unquoted; newlines break the row | nvarchar(max) |
| Date | 2026-09-18 | date |
| Datetime | 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | datetime2 |
| Binary | not representable | varbinary(max) |
| Boolean | TRUE / FALSE | bit |
| JSON | the whole JSON value as-is (its own quotes stay) | nvarchar(max) |
Dialect differences
TSV is a file format and SQL Server is a database server, so the target has to be told the types the file never carried - the rows below are where the two sides diverge.
| Property | in TSV | in SQL Server |
|---|---|---|
| port | — | 1433 |
| identifiers | Rarely used, which is exactly why tabs in data break it | [square brackets] |
| row limit | — | SELECT TOP n |
| dates | Conventional text: 2026-09-18 or 2026-09-18 14:30:00 | datetime, datetime2, date, time |
| long text | — | nvarchar(max) |
| binary | Not supported - must be encoded | varbinary(max) |
| separator | Tab | — |
| encoding | No declaration - UTF-8 works only with a BOM | — |
| typing | None - every field is text | — |
| shape | Flat table, optional header row | Tables of rows and columns |
| ceiling | No formal limit | — |
Command line
| Side | Command |
|---|---|
| SQL Server | bcp |
| SQL Server (load) | bcp, or BULK INSERT |
Convert your data online, free
Free in-browser converters for CSV, Excel, JSON, XML and SQL: Withdata Online Data Conversion. Large files, batch conversion or scheduling? See the offline desktop apps, or browse all data conversion tools.
New to the format? Read what a TSV file is (and how it differs from CSV).