About the Excel to CSV
CSV is the universal format for importing data into databases, email tools, online shops and accounting software. This converter opens an Excel .xlsx or OpenDocument .ods file, lets you pick a sheet and saves it as CSV with the separator you need: comma, semicolon or tab. A UTF-8 marker keeps accents correct when the file is opened in Excel again. If the workbook has several sheets, you can download them all at once as a ZIP of CSV files.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Excel to CSV
- 1Select an .xlsx or .ods file.
- 2Pick the sheet in the menu if there are several.
- 3Choose the separator.
- 4Download the sheet as CSV.
- 5Or download every sheet as a ZIP.
When you need CSV
Importing contacts into an email platform, uploading products to a shop, loading data into a database or a data-analysis tool, and sharing data with people who don't use Excel all work best with CSV.
What CSV leaves out
CSV is plain text: one row per line, values separated by a character.
- Formatting, colours and column widths
- Formulas (results are kept)
- Charts, images and comments
- Multiple sheets in one file
Checking the result
Open the CSV in a text editor to see exactly what a program will import. Values containing the separator, quotes or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes, which is the standard every importer understands.
Several sheets
A CSV file can hold only one sheet. The ZIP option saves each sheet as its own CSV, named after the sheet.
Comma, semicolon or tab?
Check the import screen of the program you are sending the file to. Most online tools and databases expect commas. Excel in countries that use a decimal comma expects semicolons. Tabs are safest when values often contain commas, such as addresses, and the result is usually called a TSV file.
Large workbooks
Workbooks with tens of thousands of rows convert in a few seconds. The file is read entirely in your browser, so very large workbooks may take longer on a phone than on a computer.
Phone and computer
Pick a workbook from your phone's files and save the CSV straight away. A CSV is simple, but you may need a different format next. Turn it back into a spreadsheet with CSV to Excel, share the sheet as a document with Excel to PDF, or move rows into code with the CSV to JSON Converter.
Features
- XLSX and ODS input
- Comma, semicolon or tab
- UTF-8 with an Excel-friendly marker
- One sheet or all sheets as ZIP
- Quotes added only where needed
- No upload
Frequently asked questions
What happens to formulas?
CSV stores values only, so each formula is saved as its last calculated result.
Why choose a semicolon?
In many European countries Excel uses commas in numbers, so CSV files use semicolons between values. Pick the separator your target program expects.
What is the UTF-8 marker?
A few invisible bytes at the start of the file that tell Excel the text is UTF-8, so accented letters display correctly. Some programs don't need it; untick it for them.
Are dates kept?
Dates are written as YYYY-MM-DD, which most programs import correctly.
Can it open old .xls files?
Not in the browser. Open the file in Excel, Google Sheets or LibreOffice and save it as .xlsx first.
Is my spreadsheet uploaded?
No. It is read and converted in your browser, so private figures and customer lists stay on your device.
Does it keep leading zeros?
Yes. Values are written exactly as stored, so codes like 00123 keep their zeros in the CSV. Excel may hide them again when it opens a CSV, so import the file with Data > From Text if that matters.
Will cells with commas break the CSV?
No. Values containing the separator, quotes or line breaks are wrapped in double quotes, which every CSV importer understands.
Can I convert Google Sheets?
Download the sheet from Google Sheets as .xlsx (File > Download), then convert it here.