Free online XLS to CSV converter

Database importers, scripts, and older business systems often require a flat CSV file instead of an Excel workbook. Converting the file also produces a smaller text representation that is easier to share, archive, and process without spreadsheet software.

What the XLS format is

XLS is the binary workbook format associated with Microsoft Excel 97–2003. An XLS workbook can contain multiple worksheets, formulas, formatting, charts, images, comments, data validation, macros, and workbook metadata.

Microsoft Excel creates and opens XLS files, while LibreOffice Calc, Apache OpenOffice Calc, and other spreadsheet programs can usually open and save them. Newer Excel versions normally use .xlsx, although legacy XLS files remain common in older business systems, archived attachments, accounting records, and document collections.

What the CSV format is

CSV stores tabular data as plain text. Each line normally represents a row, and a delimiter separates fields; a comma is conventional, but some systems use a semicolon. Fields containing delimiters, quotation marks, or line breaks are enclosed in double quotes, and embedded quotation marks are escaped by doubling them.

CSV is supported by databases, programming languages, command-line utilities, reporting systems, and spreadsheet applications. It is generally smaller than XLS, readable without specialized software, and suitable for importing one flat table.

CSV represents one worksheet per file. It cannot preserve multiple worksheets, cell formatting, charts, images, comments, macros, merged-cell layout, or workbook-level settings. Formulas are not retained as formulas.

How to convert an XLS file

With Microsoft Excel

1. Open the .xls file in Excel.
2. Select the worksheet to export. Excel writes only the active worksheet to the CSV file.
3. Choose File → Save As.
4. Set the file type to CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv) when the receiving system supports UTF-8. Choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) only when a legacy system requires its older encoding.
5. Enter a filename ending in .csv and select Save.
6. Accept Excel’s warning that only the active worksheet and CSV-compatible data will be saved.

With LibreOffice Calc

1. Open the XLS file in LibreOffice Calc and select the required worksheet tab.
2. Choose File → Save As, select Text CSV (.csv), and enable Automatic file name extension if necessary.
3. In the export dialog, set Character set to UTF-8, Field delimiter to a comma, and Text delimiter to a double quote.
4. Select Save. Export each additional worksheet separately with a distinct filename.

With an online converter

You can convert the file on 101convert.com for free without installing software. Upload the XLS file, start the conversion, and download the resulting CSV; check the output settings and verify the exported data before importing it elsewhere.

With Python and pandas

For repeatable conversions, install pandas and the XLS reader, then run:

pip install pandas xlrd

python -c "import pandas as pd; pd.read_excel('input.xls', sheet_name=0).to_csv('output.csv', index=False, encoding='utf-8')"

Use a worksheet name or another index instead of sheet_name=0. The index=False option prevents pandas from adding a separate index column. The xlrd package reads legacy XLS files; it does not read XLSX files in current releases.

Quality and compatibility checks

• Worksheets: export every required sheet separately. A CSV cannot contain the workbook’s sheet structure.
• Formulas: Excel normally writes the calculated result rather than the formula expression. Recalculate the workbook first if the latest results are required. Formula results may be unavailable or stale when a reader does not calculate formulas.
• Values and formatting: fonts, colors, column widths, charts, images, comments, and merged-cell layout are discarded. Display formats can affect exported dates, percentages, currency values, and decimal precision.
• Encoding: use UTF-8 for accented characters, non-Latin text, and symbols. If an older importer shows garbled text, identify the encoding it expects before exporting.
• Delimiters: regional settings and destination systems may require semicolons or tabs rather than commas. Match the destination’s delimiter and confirm how it handles quoted fields and line breaks.
• Leading zeros: identifiers such as 00127 can become 127 when the source cell is numeric. Format identifiers as text before exporting, then inspect the CSV.
• Large numbers: spreadsheet applications can round values beyond their supported precision. Compare financial, scientific, and identifier fields with the original workbook.
• Security: CSV does not retain XLS macros, but opening untrusted CSV data in a spreadsheet can enable formula injection when a field begins with =, +, -, or @. Treat imported files as untrusted and neutralize such fields when appropriate.