CSV is the format import screens ask for: webshops, mailing tools, accounting software, databases. It holds only rows and columns of text, which is why almost every program can read it. This tool reads a sheet from your workbook and writes its cells out as CSV.
Which sheet is converted?
A CSV file holds one table, so one sheet is converted per run. By default that is the first sheet. Enter a different sheet number to pick another: 2 for the second tab from the left, and so on. For a workbook with several sheets you need, run it once per sheet.
Comma, semicolon or tab?
Comma is the default and what most import tools and scripts expect. Choose semicolon when the file is going into Excel or software set up for Dutch, German, French or other European regional settings, where the comma is the decimal separator. Choose tab for data that itself contains lots of commas and semicolons, such as addresses or free text.
Values that contain the separator, quotes or line breaks are quoted, following the usual CSV rules, so nothing breaks either way.
What happens to formulas and formatting?
CSV cannot hold formulas, colours, fonts, merged cells or charts, so those are dropped. Each formula cell is written as the value Excel last calculated and saved in the file. If a workbook was generated by software and never opened and saved in Excel, some formula cells may have no stored value and come out empty; opening and saving it once in Excel fixes that. Whole numbers are written without a trailing .0.
Which files are supported?
Excel workbooks (.xlsx and .xlsm), the older .xls format and OpenDocument spreadsheets (.ods).
Will Excel show accented characters correctly?
Yes. The CSV is UTF-8 with a byte order mark, the marker Excel needs to recognise UTF-8, so names like Müller and Françoise open correctly when you double-click the file.
Is my file stored?
The conversion runs on our server in Germany. The workbook is uploaded over an encrypted connection, and both files are deleted automatically within two hours.
Is it free?
Yes. Workbooks up to 50 MB are free without an account, within a daily allowance of 20 server jobs. Pro takes up to 500 MB. If a supplier sends a dozen workbooks every week, the pipeline builder can convert them all at once and follow up with CSV to JSON if your system needs that; you can try it on up to 3 files for free.
How to convert Excel to CSV
- Drop your .xlsx, .xls or .ods file onto the drop zone.
- Enter the sheet number if it is not the first sheet.
- Choose comma, semicolon or tab.
- Click Convert and download the CSV.
FAQ
Why are some cells empty in the CSV?
They are formula cells without a saved result. Open the workbook in Excel, save it, and convert again.
Will leading zeros in postcodes or phone numbers be kept?
If the cell is stored as text in Excel, yes. If Excel stored it as a number, the zeros were already gone before conversion.
What does sheet number mean if some sheets are hidden?
Hidden sheets still count. Number the sheets in the order they are stored, including hidden ones.
Can I convert back to Excel?
Yes, with CSV to Excel.