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SheetTidy

Convert Excel to CSV (UTF-8)

Save any sheet of an .xlsx, .xls or .ods workbook as a clean UTF-8 CSV with the separator you need.

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Drop your Excel or CSV file here

XLSX, XLSM, XLS, ODS, CSV, TSV or JSON

Your file never leaves your device

How to use this tool

  1. Step 1: Open your workbook

    Drop an .xlsx, .xlsm, .xls or .ods file onto the tool. If it has several sheets, choose the one to convert.

  2. Step 2: Choose the separator if needed

    Comma is the default. Under More options you can pick a semicolon, common in Europe, or a tab.

  3. Step 3: Convert and check

    Click Convert file and look through the preview to confirm the data is what you expect.

  4. Step 4: Download the CSV

    The file is saved as UTF-8 with a byte order mark, so Excel and other programs show every character correctly.

Why convert Excel to CSV?

CSV is the common language of data. Mailing platforms, CRMs, online stores, accounting software, databases and programming tools all import CSV, while many of them cannot read an .xlsx file. Converting is usually the last step before uploading a list somewhere else, so it matters that nothing is lost on the way.

How to save a CSV from Excel

  1. Click the sheet you want to export. Excel only saves the active sheet.
  2. Choose File › Save As (or Save a Copy) and pick a folder.
  3. In Save as type, choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv).
  4. Click Save. Excel warns that only the active sheet is saved and that some features may be lost; click OK or Yes.

What to watch out for

Pick the UTF-8 option. The list also contains CSV (Comma delimited), which saves text in your computer’s regional code page. Names with letters outside that code page, the rupee sign and Indian scripts come out as question marks, and there is no way to get them back from the saved file.

The separator depends on your region. Excel uses the list separator from your Windows regional settings. On a computer set to a German or French region, a “comma delimited” file is often written with semicolons. Check the file in a text editor if the program you are importing into is strict.

Values are saved as displayed. Excel writes what you see in each cell. A price shown as ₹1,250.00 is written with the symbol and comma, a number shown with two decimals is rounded, and dates are written in your display format, such as 15/03/2024 on one computer and 3/15/2024 on another.

Each sheet needs its own file. To export several sheets, repeat the process for each one.

Where this converter helps

Uploading contacts or products. Email platforms and online stores expect a UTF-8 CSV with a particular separator. Getting it right first time avoids broken names in your next campaign or listing.

Sharing data with developers and analysts. Raw values and ISO dates load into databases, Python or R without any parsing surprises.

Working on a computer without Excel. Any .xlsx, .xls or .ods file can be converted in the browser, even on a Chromebook or a work laptop where you cannot install software.

Files in several languages. UTF-8 keeps Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Arabic, accented European names and currency symbols exactly as they appear in the workbook.

How the conversion works

  • Underlying values, not display formats. Numbers keep their full precision, dates are written as YYYY-MM-DD (with the time if there is one) and true/false values as TRUE and FALSE.
  • Text stays text. Codes such as 000123 keep their leading zeros in the CSV. Note that if you later double-click the CSV in Excel, Excel itself may drop them; use the CSV to Excel converter to open it safely.
  • UTF-8 with a byte order mark. The mark tells Excel the file is UTF-8, so characters display correctly when the CSV is opened again.
  • Standard quoting. Values containing the separator, quotes or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes, so multi-line addresses survive.
  • Formula protection. Text starting with =, +, - or @ is prefixed with an apostrophe so a spreadsheet cannot execute it.

Formatting, colours, charts, comments and other sheets are not part of a CSV, so they are not included. Macros in .xlsm files are never run.

Checking a CSV before you upload it

Open the downloaded file in a plain text editor such as Notepad or TextEdit rather than in Excel, which would reinterpret it. Check three things:

  1. The first line holds your column names, separated by the character the receiving system expects.
  2. The encoding. Notepad shows “UTF-8 with BOM” in its status bar for files from this converter.
  3. Quoted values. Cells containing commas or line breaks appear inside double quotes, which is correct; the importing program removes the quotes.

If the receiving system rejects the byte order mark, which a few strict developer tools do, open the file in a text editor and save it again as UTF-8 without BOM.

To go back from CSV to a workbook without losing leading zeros, use the CSV to Excel converter. If your source is an old .xls file and you want to keep it as a workbook, the XLS to XLSX converter is the better choice.

Frequently asked questions

Which sheet is converted if my workbook has several?

You choose. When a workbook has more than one sheet with data, the tool asks which one to convert. A CSV file can only hold one sheet, so convert each sheet separately if you need them all.

Why save as UTF-8?

UTF-8 can store every character, including ₹, €, accented names and Indian scripts. The older "CSV (Comma delimited)" format in Excel uses your computer's regional code page and replaces unsupported characters with question marks.

What happens to formulas?

Each formula is saved as its last calculated value, the same as when Excel saves a CSV. Make sure the workbook was calculated before it was last saved.

How are dates and numbers written?

Numbers are written in full without display formatting, and dates are written as YYYY-MM-DD, which every program reads the same way. Excel's own Save As writes them as they are displayed on screen instead.

Why do some cells start with an apostrophe?

Text that begins with =, +, - or @ could run as a formula when the CSV is opened, which is a known security risk. Formula protection adds an apostrophe so it stays text. Plain negative numbers such as -45 are not affected, and you can turn the protection off under More options.

Can I use a semicolon instead of a comma?

Yes. Choose Semicolon under More options. This is the usual format for Excel in Germany, France, Italy and other countries that use a comma as the decimal mark.

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