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How to Convert Excel to CSV
Upload .xlsx or .xls file
First sheet extracts automatically
Download CSV output
Use in any system that accepts CSV files
What gets lost converting Excel to CSV
- All sheets except first—CSV is single-table format
- Formulas—only calculated values export
- Cell formatting—colors, bold, borders, fonts all stripped
- Charts and images—CSV is text-only
- Merged cells—only top-left value kept
- Data validation rules and dropdowns
- Conditional formatting rules
- Column widths and row heights
- Comments and notes
- Macros and VBA code
Prepare Excel data before converting
- Delete empty rows/columns at the end (creates trailing commas in CSV)
- Unmerge cells if you need all values (Home → Merge & Center → Unmerge)
- Format dates consistently if importing to databases (use Custom format: yyyy-mm-dd)
- Remove line breaks within cells (Find & Replace: ^p with space)
- Convert formulas to values if you want exact current results (Copy → Paste Special → Values)
- Check for special characters in headers—some systems require alphanumeric only
- Ensure numeric columns contain only numbers (no $ or commas)
CSV format limitations vs Excel
Handle multi-sheet workbooks
- Option 1: Manually extract sheets. Right-click sheet tab → Move or Copy → Create copy in new book. Save as separate .xlsx files, convert each.
- Option 2: Use Excel Save As. Open workbook → select sheet → File → Save As → CSV. Repeat for each sheet. Excel warns about single-sheet limitation.
- Option 3: Combine sheets first. If sheets have same columns, copy/paste all data into one sheet, then convert.
- Note: There's no automatic way to convert all sheets to separate CSVs in one step using this tool.
CSV encoding and special characters
This tool outputs UTF-8 encoded CSV, which handles international characters (accents, Cyrillic, Chinese, etc.). Commas inside cell values are automatically quoted per CSV standard: cell containing 'Smith, John' becomes "Smith, John" in CSV. Line breaks within cells are preserved with quotes. If importing CSV shows garbled characters, the target system may expect different encoding—check import settings for UTF-8 option.
When to use CSV instead of Excel
CSV is the universal interchange format. Use it when: importing to databases (PostgreSQL, MySQL, SQLite), uploading to APIs that require CSV, processing data with Python/R scripts, reducing file size for email/transfer, ensuring long-term readability (plain text survives software changes), using command-line tools (awk, grep, sed), or sharing with systems that can't open Excel files. Keep Excel format when you need formulas, multiple sheets, charts, or formatting.
Key Features
First Sheet Extraction
Converts the first worksheet only. Multi-sheet workbooks require converting each sheet separately.
Formula Resolution
Exports calculated values, not formula text. =SUM(A1:A10) becomes the numeric result in CSV.
Legacy Format Support
Handles .xls (Excel 97-2003) and .xlsx (Excel 2007+) files using SheetJS library.
Privacy & Security
Client-side processing. Files never leave your browser.
Frequently Asked Questions
What happens to formulas?
They export as calculated values. =VLOOKUP(A1,Sheet2!B:C,2,0) becomes 'Widget A' or whatever the formula returned. This prevents #REF! errors since CSV can't reference other sheets.
How do I convert sheets other than the first one?
This tool only extracts sheet 1. For other sheets: open Excel → right-click sheet tab → Move or Copy → Create copy in new book → save → convert that file.
What happens to merged cells?
Only the top-left cell value exports. Other cells in the merge become empty in CSV. Unmerge cells in Excel first if you need all values.
Will my dates export correctly?
Dates export in whatever format Excel displays them. If Excel shows 1/15/2024, CSV gets that text. For specific formats like YYYY-MM-DD, format the column in Excel before converting.
Does this work with password-protected files?
No. Remove password protection in Excel first (File → Info → Protect Workbook → Encrypt with Password → delete password).
What's the file size limit?
Limited by browser memory. Most browsers handle files up to 50-100MB. Very large files may process slowly or fail on older devices.