Free online RIS to XLSX converter

Citation databases and library catalogs commonly deliver references as RIS, while Excel-based reporting, filtering, and project inventories require XLSX. Converting the records creates an editable spreadsheet without manually copying authors, titles, identifiers, and publication data.

What the RIS format is

RIS is a plain-text bibliographic exchange format used by academic databases, library catalogs, and reference managers. Records contain tagged lines such as TY - for reference type, AU - for author, TI - for title, JO - for journal, PY - for publication year, and ER - for the record terminator. One file can contain one reference or a collection of references.

Web of Science, Scopus, EBSCO, ProQuest, PubMed-related tools, and library systems can export RIS files. Zotero, EndNote, and other reference managers can import and export the format for citation exchange.

What the XLSX format is

XLSX is the XML-based spreadsheet format used by Microsoft Excel and supported by LibreOffice Calc, Apple Numbers, and other office applications. It stores data in rows and columns and supports multiple worksheets, sorting, filtering, formulas, formatting, and charts.

XLSX is suitable for auditing, filtering, annotating, deduplicating, and combining citation records with research or project data. Unlike RIS, it is designed for spreadsheet analysis rather than reliable round-trip exchange with citation managers.

How to convert RIS to XLSX

Using the built-in converter on 101convert.com:

1. Open the RIS-to-XLSX converter on 101convert.com. The conversion is free and does not require software installation.
2. Select the .ris file with the file picker or upload control.
3. Choose XLSX as the output format and start the conversion.
4. Download the resulting workbook and open it in Excel, LibreOffice Calc, or another compatible spreadsheet application.
5. Inspect the first rows, column headings, character encoding, and representative records before using the workbook as the final copy.

Using desktop software: Import the RIS file into EndNote or another reference manager when you need its field recognition, duplicate detection, or citation-specific cleanup. Export the selected records as CSV or tab-delimited text if supported, open that file in Excel or LibreOffice Calc, confirm the delimiter and text encoding in the import dialog, then use File → Save As and select an Excel workbook with the .xlsx extension.

Reference managers do not all provide the same spreadsheet export options. For example, EndNote can produce tab-delimited output through its export settings; do not assume that every Zotero installation offers a native CSV export. A direct converter is preferable when the goal is simply to place RIS fields into spreadsheet columns.

Quality and compatibility limits

• Conversion changes tagged bibliographic records into cells; it does not preserve RIS tags as citation-manager behavior or guarantee that the XLSX file can be imported back into a reference manager.
• Repeated fields such as authors, editors, keywords, and identifiers may be joined in one cell, split across columns, or omitted according to the converter's field mapping.
• Check author order, accented characters, publication dates, abstracts, DOIs, URLs, notes, reference types, and custom RIS tags after conversion.
• Records lacking a field produce blank cells or columns. Date formats may also be interpreted differently by spreadsheet software, especially when a year is stored with a full date.
• Keep the original RIS file as the archival and citation-manager copy. Preserve a separate XLSX working file for sorting, annotations, and analysis.