The Conversion Cheat Sheet: Turn Any File Format Into Any Other
JSON to CSV, Markdown to HTML, WebP to PNG, YAML to JSON. A handy guide to every file conversion you'll ever need, with free browser tools.
You have a file in format A. You need it in format B. You Google it, find a sketchy website that wants you to upload your file, create an account, and sell your firstborn for the premium version.
Or: you use a browser-based converter that does it in 3 seconds without your file ever leaving your computer. Here’s the complete cheat sheet.
Data Format Conversions
| From | To | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| JSON | CSV | JSON to CSV converter |
| CSV | JSON | CSV to JSON converter |
| XML | JSON | XML to JSON converter |
| YAML | JSON | YAML to JSON converter |
| TSV | CSV | TSV to CSV converter |
When you’d use these: You got an API response in JSON but your boss wants a spreadsheet. Your data is in XML but your app expects JSON. Your tab-separated export needs to be comma-separated. These are 5-second tasks that feel like they should be 5-second tasks.
Text/Markup Conversions
| From | To | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Markdown | HTML | Markdown to HTML |
| HTML | Markdown | HTML to Markdown |
| Markdown | Plain Text | Markdown to plain text |
When you’d use these: Writing content in Markdown but need HTML for a CMS. Copying content from a website but want clean Markdown. Stripping formatting from Markdown for a plain-text email.
Image Conversions
| From | To | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| WebP | PNG | WebP to PNG converter |
| SVG | PNG | SVG to PNG converter |
| HEIC | JPG | HEIC to JPG converter |
When you’d use these: WebP images that your email client won’t accept. SVG logos that need to be PNG for social media uploads. iPhone photos in HEIC format that Windows can’t open.
Encoding Conversions
| From | To | Tool |
|---|---|---|
| Text | Base64 | Base64 encoder |
| URL | Encoded URL | URL encoder |
| Text | HTML entities | HTML entity encoder |
When you’d use these: Embedding data in URLs, encoding special characters for HTML, creating data URIs for inline images.
Why Browser-Based Converters Win
- Privacy. Your files never leave your computer. No upload, no server storage, no data policy to worry about.
- Speed. No upload/download time. Processing happens instantly in your browser.
- No account. Open the tool, do the conversion, close the tab. No email required.
- No install. Works on any device with a browser. Chromebook, iPad, your work computer where you can’t install software.
The Pro Tip
Bookmark the converters you use regularly. Having them one click away turns a “let me Google how to convert this” moment into a 3-second task. Your future self will appreciate the efficiency.
Conversion shouldn’t be complicated. Paste, click, done. That’s the standard every tool should meet.