XLS to CSV

Excel files contain far more than data: formatting, formulas, charts, multiple sheets, and proprietary structure. That richness makes them hard for other systems to read. CSV strips everything back to plain rows and columns of text, which is exactly what import tools expect. It's the standard way to load contacts into a CRM, products into an online store, transactions into accounting software, or datasets into Python, R, and SQL databases.

Comma is the default almost everywhere. In much of Europe, however, the comma is the decimal separator, so spreadsheet software there expects semicolons instead — choose Semicolon if your CSV will be opened in a European version of Excel. Tab produces a TSV file, which avoids problems entirely when your data contains lots of commas, such as addresses or free-text notes.

By default the CSV contains values exactly as Excel displays them, including currency symbols, thousands separators, percentages, and date formats — ideal when people will read the file. Turn on Raw numbers when the CSV is going into another program: numbers are written without formatting so they import as true numeric values. Formulas are always exported as their calculated results.

CSV files have no built-in way to declare their character encoding. Excel in particular may misread UTF-8 text, turning names like "José" or "Müller" into garbled characters. The Excel-friendly UTF-8 option adds a small invisible marker at the start of the file that tells Excel to read it correctly. If you're importing into a database or script that doesn't expect it, simply switch the option off.