PRACTICAL GUIDES · Spreadsheets
Export CSV without losing codes, characters or columns
A spreadsheet can look correct and change when reopened. Treat the delimiter, character encoding and column types as three separate choices.
1. Separate a table from a workbook
CSV holds rows and text fields. It does not retain multiple sheets, formatting and working formulas as an XLSX workbook does. Decide which sheet and values you need to deliver.
If formulas need updating, recalculate and save the workbook in its original application. This converter is not a calculation engine that reconstructs missing formula results.
2. Match delimiter and encoding to the recipient
Our export offers commas, semicolons and tabs. Ask which delimiter the destination expects: regional settings alone are not a file specification.
Output uses UTF-8 with an optional BOM. A BOM can help Excel recognize UTF-8, while another destination may explicitly require no BOM. This choice is separate from the delimiter.
Convert Excel to CSV3. Select the sheet and protect its values
In XLSX to CSV, choose the workbook, select the sheet and inspect the preview. Processing happens in the browser, with one sheet exported at a time. Check codes, dates and formula values.
CSV formula protection may prefix fields that spreadsheet software could interpret as formulas with an apostrophe. This helps with untrusted data, but changes the text representation and matters for exact-string imports.
TRY THIS STEP
Convert Excel to CSV
Use the full tool here. Load the sample or select your own file and adjust the settings.
A reproducible example
The Sample sheet has three columns and two data rows: 00127 · Caffè · 12,50 and 00008 · Thé · 4,00, all stored as text. Export with a semicolon delimiter and UTF-8. On import, check the three columns, leading zeros and accents.
Synthetic sample · XLSX · 2,884 B
4. Example: a code, an accented word and an amount
Use three fields: code 00127, name Café and text amount 12.50. Export with a comma delimiter, then import as UTF-8 with the code column set to text before automatic conversion.
Three fields must remain three fields
- Starting point
- Code 00127 · name Café · text amount 12.50
- Result
- 00127, Café and 12.50 in three correct columns
UTF-8 handles the accented character, not leading-zero preservation. The identifier must remain text and the import delimiter must match the export.
-
Encoding
Café retains its accented letter.
-
Delimiter
The row has three fields.
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Column type
00127 remains a five-character code.
5. Diagnose the kind of failure
Everything in one column often points to the wrong delimiter. Garbled characters suggest an encoding mismatch. A code becoming 127 instead of 00127 is a numeric-interpretation problem.
Double-clicking a CSV can apply automatic conversions. Use the destination’s import workflow to control delimiter and column types. If zeros were already lost in the source, CSV cannot reliably reconstruct them.
| Symptom | First check |
|---|---|
| Only one column | Delimiter |
| Unreadable characters | Encoding |
| 00127 becomes 127 | Data type and automatic conversion |
6. Reopen and compare before delivery
Check the exported file in the receiving application. Compare row count, field count and meaningful samples, including dates and long identifiers that can change without an obvious error.
Keep the original CSV distinct from any copy saved after opening it. Exporting again may change the delimiter, encoding or value representation.
Puffinmint created these samples on 3 November 2026. Source file data is measured; output is produced when you run the tool. Final size and accuracy are not guaranteed. Tick the checks after opening and comparing the result.
Sources and method
Frequently asked questions
Does a BOM preserve leading zeros?
No. It helps identify UTF-8 encoding. Keeping 00127 requires treating that field as text when importing.
Can I store every worksheet in one CSV?
CSV represents one table. Export sheets separately or retain XLSX when the recipient needs a workbook with multiple sheets.