CSV Viewer

ConvertersCSV to Excel
CSVXLSX

CSV to Excel Converter

Drop a CSV file and get a ready-to-use .xlsx workbook — accents, Unicode and special characters preserved.

No uploadNo signup100% private
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Why convert Excel to CSV and CSV to Excel?

CSV is a lightweight text format ideal for data import/export, APIs and analytics. Excel (.xlsx) is great for formulas and formatting. Our free online converter lets you switch between both formats instantly, without uploading files to a server.

Supported formats and delimiters

  • Excel: .xlsx, .xls, .xlsm (first-class support via SheetJS)
  • CSV variants: comma (,), semicolon (;), and tab (TSV)
  • Unicode: UTF‑8 recommended for special characters

Tips for clean conversions

  • Ensure consistent headers across sheets
  • Avoid stray commas inside unquoted cells
  • Prefer UTF‑8 to preserve accents and emojis

Excel ↔ CSV Converter — FAQ

Is this converter really free?

Yes — it’s 100% free and runs entirely in your browser.

Do you upload my files to a server?

No. All conversions are processed locally in your browser for maximum privacy.

Which Excel formats are supported?

.xlsx, .xls and .xlsm.

Can I convert only one sheet?

Yes, you can select the sheet and download its CSV.

How to handle semicolons or tabs?

Download as CSV then choose the delimiter in Excel or import settings of your tool.

Complete Converter Guide

When to Use Each Format

📊 Use Excel (.xlsx) When You Need:

  • Formulas and calculations
  • Formatting (colors, fonts, borders)
  • Multiple sheets in one file
  • Charts and pivot tables
  • Sharing with non-technical users

📋 Use CSV When You Need:

  • Lightweight, portable format
  • Importing to databases or APIs
  • Version control compatibility
  • Cross-platform compatibility
  • Minimal file size

Conversion Examples

Excel → CSV

Your Excel file:

Product | Price | Stock
------- | ----- | -----
Laptop  | $800  | 15
Mouse   | $25   | 150

Converts to a clean, portable CSV file ready for databases.

CSV → Excel

Your CSV data:

Name,Email,Phone
John,john@ex.com,555-1234
Mary,mary@ex.com,555-5678

Becomes a formatted Excel file you can edit with formulas and styling.

Common Issues & Solutions

❌ Issue: Excel Columns Look Wrong in CSV

Cause: CSV uses commas, semicolons, or tabs. Different applications default to different delimiters.

Fix: When opening CSV in Excel, use "Import" and select the correct delimiter (comma, semicolon, or tab).

❌ Issue: Accents Appear as Garbled Text

Cause: Encoding mismatch. CSV needs UTF-8, but Excel might be exporting in a different format.

Fix: In Excel, use File → Save As → Choose CSV format → Advanced → UTF-8 encoding.

❌ Issue: Formulas are Lost in CSV

Cause: CSV stores values only, not formulas. This is by design.

Fix: If you need formulas, keep the file as .xlsx. Convert to CSV only after final calculations.

❌ Issue: Decimal Numbers Display Incorrectly

Cause: Locale differences (comma vs. period for decimals).

Fix: When opening CSV, ensure your system locale matches your data (e.g., German uses commas, English uses periods).

Supported Excel Formats

FormatExtensionDescriptionSupported
Excel (Modern).xlsxLatest format (2007 onwards)✓ Yes
Excel (Legacy).xlsOlder Excel format✓ Yes
Excel Macro.xlsmWith macros (data only)✓ Yes
CSV Variants.csv, .txtComma, semicolon, tab-separated✓ Yes

Best Practices for Conversions

✓ Before Converting Excel → CSV

  • Remove extra empty rows and columns
  • Ensure consistent headers
  • Save formulas as values if needed
  • Check for special formatting

✓ Before Converting CSV → Excel

  • Validate CSV structure
  • Use UTF-8 encoding
  • Remove extra delimiters
  • Check headers are clear

Why convert CSV to Excel?

CSV is great for data exchange but lacks everything Excel users depend on: formulas, cell formatting, multiple sheets, charts, pivot tables. Converting your CSV to .xlsx keeps the data intact while giving you a spreadsheet workbook you can extend. If you're not sure what the CSV actually contains before converting, preview it in the CSV viewer first — it takes a second and saves you rebuilding a bad workbook.

Going the other direction — starting from an Excel file and needing a CSV — use the reciprocal Excel to CSV converter instead; it reads .xlsx, .xls and .xlsm and exports any sheet as clean comma-separated text.

Things to know

Encoding is UTF-8

CSV Viewer reads and writes UTF-8. Accents, Cyrillic, Japanese, emojis — all preserved in the output .xlsx. If your source CSV is in another encoding, open it in the main viewer first to re-save as UTF-8.

Dates and numbers

CSV has no type system, so the converter writes values as-is. Once open in Excel, you can apply date or number formatting per column. Prefer ISO 8601 dates (2026-04-22) in your CSV — Excel parses them reliably regardless of locale.

Large files

Excel caps sheets at ~1,048,576 rows. If your CSV exceeds that, split it first (or view it directly in our main viewer, which has no such limit).

FAQ

How do I convert a CSV file to Excel online?
Upload your CSV or paste the content, then click Download Excel. A .xlsx file is generated in your browser and downloaded directly to your device.
Is my CSV uploaded to your server?
No. The converter uses SheetJS locally in your browser. Your file stays on your device.
Does it handle accents and non-ASCII characters?
Yes. The tool reads CSVs as UTF-8 by default and writes the .xlsx with proper Unicode, so accents, Asian scripts and emojis render correctly.
Can I keep leading zeros in my Excel file?
CSV does not record types, so Excel may auto-interpret short numeric-looking strings. To force Excel to treat a column as text, pre-format the column as Text in Excel after opening, or prefix the value with an apostrophe in your CSV.
What if my CSV uses semicolons as delimiters?
The converter auto-detects the delimiter. If detection fails, open the file in our main CSV Viewer, set the delimiter manually, then re-export and run it through this tool.

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