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Convert XLS to CSV

Convert XLS to CSV in seconds. Free, no signup, no watermark, no file-size limit. Your file is processed in your browser and never uploaded.

At a glance

Source
XLS
Target
CSV
Where it runs
Your browser
Cost
Free, unlimited
Account
Not needed
XLS

Converter

XLS to CSV

On device

Drop one or more legacy excel workbook files.

or select legacy excel workbook

Your file never leaves this browser

    The details

    What happens when you convert a spreadsheet to text

    The original binary Excel workbook, from before 2007. The active sheet is flattened into a delimited text file — one line per row, one value per column, with the first line as a header. The result is a one table, one row per line, values separated by commas. the most importable format there is, produced entirely inside your browser.

    What survives

    • Every value in the sheet
    • The column order and the row order

    What changes

    • All formatting and number formatting — dates and currency come out raw
    • Only the sheet you choose; the others are not included

    Where it goes wrong

    • A cell containing a comma has to be quoted, and badly generated CSVs sometimes are not
    • The file is written in UTF-8, which older software may read as something else

    Why anyone would do this

    Delimited text is the one thing every import button on the internet understands.

    About the format

    The original binary Excel workbook, from before 2007.

    A binary compound file with a stream per worksheet and a shared formatting table.

    Where it is good
    • Opens in absolutely every version of Excel ever shipped
    • The reference format for very old reporting systems
    • Sometimes opens files that the modern format refuses
    Where it falls short
    • Row limit of 65,536 — a real constraint on data
    • Larger than XLSX for the same content
    • No modern features like dynamic arrays or rich charts
    You will find it on
    Legacy ERPs, old Excel installs, some government portals

    The thing people miss

    If a spreadsheet will not open in modern Excel, converting it to .xlsx and back is often enough to fix it.

    About the target

    One table, one row per line, values separated by commas.

    Plain text. Each line is a record, each value is separated by a delimiter, and the first line is usually a header row.

    • Almost every system on earth can import it
    • Plain text, so you can read and edit it directly
    • Perfectly suited to genuine tables

    Real jobs

    What people are actually doing with XLS

    Opening a spreadsheet from an old system

    A bank or supplier that still sends .xls

    Recovering a workbook that Excel refuses to open as .xlsx

    Specification

    The details, in one table

    Source formatXLS — Legacy Excel workbook
    Target formatCSV — Comma separated values
    Typical source size20 KB – 20 MB
    RunsIn your browser
    Account neededNo
    WatermarkNone
    File extension.xls → .csv

    How to

    XLS to CSV, step by step

    1. 01

      Add your legacy excel workbook

      Drag the file onto the drop zone, or tap to browse. Only one file is needed.

    2. 02

      Choose the CSV settings

      Set the CSV-specific options — everything happens locally, so the speed is your device, not a queue.

    3. 03

      Download the result

      The finished CSV downloads to your device. Nothing is uploaded and nothing is retained.

    Also available

    XLS converts into

    PDFPDF documentHTMLHTML documentTXTPlain text

    Questions

    XLS conversion questions

    What actually happens to my XLS file when I convert it to CSV?

    The active sheet is flattened into a delimited text file — one line per row, one value per column, with the first line as a header. So the XLS file is unpacked, the content is laid out, and the result is written out as CSV. Every value in the sheet survives unchanged.

    Will converting XLS to CSV reduce the quality?

    For this particular conversion, not in the way you would expect. Every value in the sheet — the XLS content is not re-encoded in a lossy way. The only thing that changes is the format it is stored in.

    Is my XLS file uploaded to a server?

    No. This XLS to CSV conversion runs as JavaScript inside your browser tab. The file is read from your device and the result is written back to your device, so there is no upload step, no file-size limit and no copy of your XLS file on any server.

    Do I need an account or will there be a watermark?

    Neither. There is no sign-up step, no email capture and no watermark on the output. The only limits are the ones your own device imposes.

    What is the most common mistake people make when converting XLS to CSV?

    A cell containing a comma has to be quoted, and badly generated CSVs sometimes are not

    Why would somebody convert XLS to CSV at all?

    Delimited text is the one thing every import button on the internet understands. In short: opening a spreadsheet from an old system

    Something most people do not know about XLS?

    If a spreadsheet will not open in modern Excel, converting it to .xlsx and back is often enough to fix it.