Convert Excel to CSV
Turn an Excel workbook into clean CSV files that every import tool, database and mailing platform accepts. Each sheet becomes its own file, dates are written in ISO form, and the whole conversion happens in your browser, so your spreadsheet is never uploaded.
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Results
How to convert Excel to CSV
- Drop one or more .xlsx or .xls files into the tool below.
- Choose a delimiter: comma for most tools, semicolon for European Excel, tab for pasting.
- Pick every sheet or the first sheet only, and whether to add a BOM for Excel.
- Run and download the CSV files, individually or as a ZIP.
Why CSV is still the format everything accepts
An Excel workbook carries formatting, formulas, multiple sheets, charts and a lot of Microsoft-specific structure. CSV carries none of that: it is just rows of values separated by commas, in a plain text file. That is precisely why so many systems demand it. Mailing list imports, accounting software, CRMs, e-commerce product uploads, database loaders, data-science notebooks and government portals all read CSV and many of them read nothing else. Converting is usually the last step before a spreadsheet leaves the person who built it.
What happens to your workbook
Each sheet is read cell by cell and written out as text. Formulas are replaced by their last calculated value, since CSV cannot hold a formula. Dates are written in ISO form (2026-03-14) so that they import correctly everywhere instead of being misread as a US or European date. Formatting, colours, merged cells, charts and images are dropped, because CSV has no way to represent them. Hidden rows and columns are exported like any other; if you do not want them, delete them first.
Workbooks with several sheets produce one CSV per sheet, named after the sheet, unless you choose to export only the first sheet. Empty sheets are skipped.
Comma, semicolon or tab
| Delimiter | Use it when |
|---|---|
| Comma | The default everywhere in the English-speaking world and for almost every import tool. |
| Semicolon | Excel in most of Europe, where the comma is the decimal separator, opens semicolon files correctly and comma files as one long column. |
| Tab | Pasting into another spreadsheet, or data that itself contains commas and semicolons, such as addresses. |
Values that contain the delimiter, a quote mark or a line break are wrapped in quotes automatically, following the standard every CSV reader understands.
The BOM option and accented characters
CSV is written as UTF-8, which handles every language. Excel on Windows, however, assumes an old regional encoding unless the file begins with a three-byte marker called a byte order mark. Without it, names like "Müller" or "Søren" open as garbage in Excel while looking fine everywhere else. Switch the BOM on if the file is going back into Excel, and off if it is going to a database or a programming tool, some of which choke on the marker.
Common uses
- Uploading a contact list from Excel into Mailchimp, HubSpot or a CRM.
- Bulk product uploads to Shopify, WooCommerce or a marketplace.
- Handing a bank export or ledger to accounting software.
- Getting a survey or a form export into Python, R or a database.
- Sharing a table with someone who does not have Excel.
Spreadsheets tend to be full of names, emails, prices and account numbers. This converter reads the workbook in your browser and never uploads it, so none of that leaves your computer.
Frequently asked questions
Is my spreadsheet uploaded?
No. The workbook is read and converted in your browser. It never leaves your device, which matters because spreadsheets are usually full of names, prices and account details.
What happens to formulas and formatting?
Formulas are replaced by their calculated values and formatting is dropped, because CSV can only hold plain values. Dates are written as 2026-03-14 so they import correctly everywhere.
Why does Excel show accents wrong when I open the CSV?
Excel on Windows assumes a regional encoding unless the file starts with a byte order mark. Switch the BOM option on for files going back into Excel.
Can I convert a workbook with several sheets?
Yes. Every non-empty sheet becomes its own CSV named after the sheet, or choose first sheet only.
Your files never leave your device
Every tool on Squishly Tools is 100% free and runs entirely inside your browser. Your images and documents are processed on your own computer and are never uploaded to a server. There are no accounts, no watermarks and no catch.