Convert tabs to spaces or spaces to tabs in your code.
Processed locally in your browser.
How do you convert tabs to spaces (or spaces to tabs) in code?
Tabs-to-spaces replaces each tab with the chosen number of spaces; spaces-to-tabs groups leading spaces into tabs of that width, keeping any remainder as spaces. With a width of 4, one leading tab becomes four spaces, and four leading spaces become one tab. Spaces-to-tabs affects only the indentation at the start of each line, preserving inline alignment.
Understanding your result
Mixed tabs and spaces are a common cause of messy diffs and broken indentation. Converting consistently to one style keeps code tidy. Spaces-to-tabs only affects the indentation at the start of each line so inline alignment is preserved.
Formula and method
Tabs-to-spaces replaces each tab with the chosen number of spaces. Spaces-to-tabs groups leading spaces into tabs of that width, keeping any remainder as spaces.
Assumptions and limitations
Tabs-to-spaces replaces every tab in the text with your chosen width, while spaces-to-tabs only converts leading indentation, deliberately leaving inline spacing alone. It assumes a single, consistent tab width, so files that mix intended widths may not round-trip perfectly, and it does not detect a project's existing style or reformat other whitespace.
Worked example
With a width of 4, one leading tab becomes four spaces, and four leading spaces become one tab.
How to use this tool
- Paste your code or text.
- Choose the direction and tab width.
- Copy or download the converted code.
Common mistakes to avoid
- Setting a tab width that does not match your editor.
- Expecting spaces inside a line to convert — only leading indentation does.
About the Tab to Space Converter
The Tab to Space Converter switches your code’s indentation between tabs and spaces. Tabs-to-spaces replaces every tab; spaces-to-tabs converts leading indentation only, leaving spacing inside lines alone.
Who should use this tool
Developers fixing mixed indentation or matching a project’s style.
Benefits
- Both directions with a chosen tab width.
- Spaces-to-tabs only touches leading indentation.
- Runs locally — code never leaves your browser.
- Copy or download the result.
Practical use cases
- Converting tabs to spaces for a style guide.
- Fixing inconsistent indentation.
- Matching a project’s formatting rules.
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Frequently asked questions
Tabs or spaces — which is better?
It is a matter of style and project convention. The key is consistency; this tool helps you switch everything to one or the other.
Does it change spaces inside my lines?
When converting spaces to tabs, no — only leading indentation is changed, so alignment inside lines is preserved.
Why does spaces-to-tabs only change the start of each line?
Spaces are often used for indentation and for aligning things inside a line, such as columns or comments. Converting every run of spaces to tabs would break that alignment. To keep code intact, the tool converts only leading indentation, preserving any spacing that appears after the first non-space character on each line.