Have you ever faced a situation where you cannot encode a CSV file in the UTF-8 format, and you’re not sure how to fix it? Then, this article can help you solve the problem because we’ll explore 3 solutions when CSV UTF 8 is not available in Excel. In addition, we’ll also learn to convert CSV UTF 8 online and preserve special characters.
CSV UTF 8 Not Available in Excel: 3 Solutions
Let’s assume the Project Checklist dataset shown in range B4:C13, which contains a list of tasks and their status respectively. Here, we want to convert this Excel file to CSV UTF-8 format.
Here, we have used the Microsoft Excel 365 version; you may use any other version according to your convenience.
1. Using Excel’s Save As Option
Let’s begin with a simple method that involves using the Save As option in Excel.
📌 Steps:
- Choose the Save As option >> click the Browse button.
- Choose the CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option >> click on Tools drop-down >> move to Web Options.
- Click on the Encoding tab >> Select Unicode (UTF-8) >> Hit OK.
Read More: How to Encode Data in Excel
2. Utilizing Notepad App
We can also employ the Notepad application to encode CSV files in UTF-8 format.
📌 Steps:
- Navigate to the File tab >> Go to the Save As option >> Select Browse location as shown previously.
- Select the CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option >> Hit the Save button.
- Right-click on the CSV file >> Open the file with Notepad.
- Use the CTRL + SHIFT + S shortcut to activate the Save As option.
- Choose UTF-8 encoding >> Press the Save button.
Read More: How to Change Encoding in Excel
3. Applying Text Import Wizard
Conversely, Excel’s Text Import Wizard can also apply UTF-8 encoding to a CSV file.
📌 Steps:
- Open Microsoft Excel >> Proceed to the Data tab >> Click the Get Data drop-down >> In the Legacy Wizards, select the From Text (Legacy) option.
- Locate the CSV file in the file explorer >> Click the Open button.
- Select 65001 : Unicode (UTF-8) encoding in File Origin box >> Check My data has headers >> Press Next.
- Check the Comma Delimiter >> Click on Next.
- Hit the Finish button to complete the process >> Apply the CTRL + S to save the CSV file.
Here, you can see the steps of the Text Import Wizard in real-time in the GIF given below.
How to Convert Excel to UTF-8 CSV Using Online Converter
For one thing, we can also convert an Excel file to CSV UTF-8 online.
📌 Steps:
- Go to the Convertio website >> Click the Choose Files button.
- Upload the Excel file >> Choose the CSV format >> Hit the Convert button.
- Download the CSV file by clicking the Download button.
How to Convert Excel to CSV UTF-8 with Preserving Special Characters
Last but not least, we can preserve any foreign symbols or characters when converting from Excel to CSV by choosing the UTF-8 encoding. In this case, let’s consider the List of Currency and Symbols dataset shown in the B4:C11 cells which displays a list of Currency and their Symbols respectively.
📌 Steps:
- Jump to the File tab at the top left corner of the Home ribbon.
- Navigate to the Save As option >> Choose Browse.
- Select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv) option >> Press the Save button.
Open the CSV file to check for foreign symbols and characters.
I have skipped some of the processes of converting an Excel file to CSV by saving it, which you may explore if you wish.
Practice Section
We have provided a practice section on the right side of each sheet so you can practice yourself. Please make sure to do it by yourself.
Download Practice Workbook
Conclusion
This article describes some quick and easy fixes when CSV UTF 8 is not available in Excel. Now, we hope you find it useful and will share your thoughts in the comments section. Visit our website for more articles like this.
