Spreadsheets · .csv
What Is a CSV File?
A .csv file is a plain text table where commas separate the values.
- Extension
- .csv
- Full name
- Comma-separated values
- Type
- Spreadsheet
- MIME type
- text/csv
Free CSV Tools
These run in your browser. Your CSV files are never uploaded.
About CSV Files
A CSV file stores a table as plain text: each line is a row and commas separate the columns, with quotes around values that contain commas or line breaks. It has no formatting, formulas or multiple sheets, but almost every spreadsheet, database and programming language can read it, which makes it the standard way to move data between systems. In countries that use a comma as the decimal separator, CSV files often use semicolons instead. Excel only shows accented letters correctly in UTF-8 CSV files that start with a byte order mark.
How to Open a CSV File
- Windows & Mac
- Open it in Excel, Numbers or LibreOffice Calc. For large files, import it with Data, From Text/CSV in Excel to control the columns.
- Any device
- Open it in Google Sheets, or in any text editor to see the raw text.
CSV File Questions
Why does my CSV open in one column in Excel?
The file uses a different separator than Excel expects for your region, often semicolons versus commas. Import it with Data, From Text/CSV and choose the separator.
How do I convert CSV to JSON?
Use the CSV to JSON tool on this site. It detects the separator and turns each row into a JSON object.
Why do accented characters look wrong in Excel?
Excel needs a byte order mark to recognise UTF-8 CSV files. The JSON to CSV tool here can add one for you.