ConvertCSV

Converter tool

Excel to CSV Converter

Convert Excel .xlsx or .xls worksheets into downloadable CSV

Preview

Output Preview

No output yet. Upload or paste input and convert.

Excel to CSV Converter

Excel workbooks (.xlsx, .xls, .xlsm) are great for formulas and formatting, but many systems — CRMs, bank importers, scripts, and git-friendly workflows — want plain CSV. This free Excel to CSV converter reads the first worksheet in your browser and exports a downloadable CSV without installing desktop software.

Upload a workbook, preview the grid, then download CSV or continue editing with other tools on this site. Because Excel files are binary, paste-text is not supported — use the file picker or drag-and-drop.

Key features

  • Supports .xlsx, .xls, and .xlsm uploads.
  • Client-side SheetJS parsing — workbook bytes stay in the browser.
  • Preview grid plus CSV and XLSX re-download from the same session.

About the Excel XLSX / XLS to CSV format

XLSX/XLS store cells, types, and sometimes multiple sheets. CSV is a single flat text table. This tool converts the first sheet only, using the first non-empty row as headers when present.

Dates and numbers are rendered as display text where SheetJS provides formatted values, so common date columns export as readable strings rather than opaque serials.

How it works

The converter reads the file as an ArrayBuffer, opens it with SheetJS, takes the first sheet, and maps the cell grid into headers and row objects for CSV download.

Common use cases

  • Sending a finance workbook to a vendor that only accepts CSV uploads.
  • Flattening an .xlsx export from a SaaS admin panel for a scripted import.
  • Preparing a single sheet from a multi-sheet workbook for git or diffing.
  • Opening legacy .xls files on a machine without Excel installed.

How to use this tool

  1. Upload an Excel file (.xlsx / .xls / .xlsm).
  2. Review the preview table for the first sheet.
  3. Download CSV for the target system.

Example

Input

(Upload an Excel workbook; first sheet becomes CSV)

Output CSV

name,city
Ada,London
Grace,Arlington

Tips for best results

  • Put the sheet you need first, or move it to the leftmost tab before uploading.
  • Remove unused empty columns on the right to keep CSV narrow.
  • Use CSV to Excel when you need to round-trip back to .xlsx.
  • Password-protected workbooks cannot be read in the browser — unlock them first.

Common errors and how to fix them

Failed to parse the Excel file.
Confirm the file opens in Excel or LibreOffice and is not password-protected or corrupt. Re-save as .xlsx and try again.
Excel files are binary…
Do not paste workbook XML or binary gibberish into the text box. Use Upload instead.

Frequently asked questions

Can I choose a different sheet?

This version always uses the first worksheet. Move the desired sheet to the leftmost position in Excel, save, and upload again.

For more background on data formats and conversion workflows, read our format guides or browse the converter blog for step-by-step walkthroughs linked to each tool.