Convert repeated space characters into tab characters using a group size you choose. Follow the exact input and settings below to reproduce this example. Open Convert Spaces to Tabs.
Prepare the source text
Open Convert Spaces to Tabs and choose Write or paste text, or upload a supported UTF-8 text file. The upload opens the editor; it does not run the tool. This example uses the exact source shown in the comparison.
Maximum input and result: 1 MB of UTF-8 text, with a 1,048,576-character input ceiling. Expanding transformations must also fit the result limit.
Use the exact example input
alpha
betaThis text operation runs in your browser; its source and result are not sent for conversion. A draft may be kept in this browser tab when session storage is available. Clear removes the current draft; download important work before closing the tab.
Choose the settings
For the recorded example, use these settings: Spaces per tab: 4.
The default is four spaces for each tab, with values from 1 to 100. Every complete group of that many ordinary spaces is replaced, including groups inside a line. Leftover spaces shorter than the chosen group remain. Existing tabs are preserved.
The example in this guide
Verified in the i2TEXT browser workflow on November 11, 2026.
- Input
- example.txt
- Output
- convert-spaces-to-tabs.txt
- Saved result
- 13 bytes
Apply and inspect the result
Select Convert Spaces to Tabs when the input and settings are ready. In the saved example, the result begins: "alpha".
This is a fixed-string replacement, not column-aware indentation. Tab display widths depend on the editor that opens the result.
Result overview shows the number of complete space groups replaced, plus input-to-result Spaces and Tabs totals. Leftover spaces shorter than the chosen group are still visible in those totals.
Result overview distinguishes changed, unchanged and empty results. An unchanged result means the selected operation did not alter the text; an empty result can be the expected outcome of removal or extraction. Open Show spaces and tabs to reveal spaces as ·, tabs as ⇥ and line endings as ↵. These marks are only a preview; copied and downloaded text keeps its actual whitespace. The whitespace preview shows at most 12,000 Unicode code points. This preview limit does not shorten the editable result or its TXT download.
Save the version you reviewed
Review the current result, then use the download icon to save a TXT file. The actual download in this example is named convert-spaces-to-tabs.txt. Copy and download use the current result, so make any final wording changes before saving. Continue to can carry the result into a compatible next tool, where you review it before running another operation.
Editing the result hides the calculated details until you run the tool again. Copy and TXT download use the edited text; return to the source and reapply the tool to refresh the report.
example.txtconvert-spaces-to-tabs.txt
Common questions
Which settings produced this example?
Spaces per tab: 4.
What should I check before using the result?
This is a fixed-string replacement, not column-aware indentation. Tab display widths depend on the editor that opens the result.
Where is this text processed?
This text operation runs in your browser; its source and result are not sent for conversion. A draft may be kept in this browser tab when session storage is available. Clear removes the current draft; download important work before closing the tab.
Try Convert Spaces to Tabs with your own text.
Use your own source and review the result before sharing.
