How to Save an Excel File as CSV (3 Methods)

What Is a CSV File

CSV stands for comma-separated values. In simple terms, each line consists of multiple fields or values separated by commas. A CSV file stores tabular data—simply put, numbers and texts. This explains its popularity as a method for exchanging data. Therefore, it is widely used by businesses and in scientific applications.

Available Formats of CSV

The table below describes the available formats of CSV files.

The dataset contains the Names of employees in the first column, while the second column shows their Sales figures.

Method 1 – Saving a Worksheet as a CSV (Comma Delimited) File in Excel

Step 1: Go to the Active Worksheet & Save

• Go to the worksheet you want to export to CSV since only the active sheet will be converted to CSV.
• Click the File tab.

• Select the Save As option.

Step 2: Choose Your Preferred Directory & File Format

• Click on Browse and select a directory to save your CSV file.

• Enter the file name, and from the drop-down, select CSV (Comma delimited)(*.csv).
• Click on Save to convert your Excel file to CSV.

• If a warning window pops up, click OK to resolve the issue.

Read More: How to Save Multiple Sheets in Excel to CSV

Method 2 – Using CSV UTF 8 Format to Save Excel File as CSV

Step 1: Save Your Worksheet

• Locate your target spreadsheet and click on the File tab.

• Select the Save As option.

Step 2: Designate the File Location & Format

• Click on Browse and choose a folder to save your CSV file.

• Type in the file name and choose CSV UTF-8 (comma delimited) (*.csv) extension.
• Click on Save.

• Open your saved document with a preferred text editor: Notepad.

Read More: [Fixed!] Excel CSV File Not Saving Changes

Method 3 – Saving as a Unicode Text and Then Converting It to CSV in Excel

Step 1: Select & Save the Worksheet

• Go to the spreadsheet you want to save and click the File option.
• Select the Save As.

Step 2: Pick the File Location & Format

• Click on Browse to save your CSV file at your desired location.

• Rename the file, select Unicode Text (*.txt), and click Save.

Step 3: Replace Tab Character with Comma

• Open your saved document in a text editor like Notepad.

• Use CTRL + H to open a dialog box.

• Copy the tab character with CTRL + C, paste it into the Find what box, and type a comma in the Replace with box.
• Click Replace All and close the dialog box.

Step 4: Provide the Correct Encoding

• Add a (.csv) extension to the file and choose UTF-8 with BOM Encoding.

• Open your saved file in Notepad.

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