> For the complete documentation index, see [llms.txt](https://doc.duaer.com/llms.txt). Markdown versions of documentation pages are available by appending `.md` to page URLs; this page is available as [Markdown](https://doc.duaer.com/tools/excel-to-csv.md).

# Excel to CSV converter (UTF-8, no upload)

A free Duaer tool that turns .xlsx or .xls into UTF-8 CSV in your browser. Pick a sheet; a BOM is added by default so Excel reopens it cleanly.

Interactive converter (runs in the browser, no upload): https://doc.duaer.com/tools/excel-to-csv/

## How to use it

1. Drop the file into the box above, or click "choose a file".
2. Check the preview to make sure rows and columns line up.
3. Click "Download .csv".
4. If the workbook has several sheets, pick the one to export from the drop-down first.

## Conversion rules

- Cells are exported as Excel displays them: dates, percentages, and thousands separators keep their format.
- Blank rows are skipped; merged cells keep the value in the top-left cell only.
- BOM: on by default. Untick it when the CSV goes into a database or a script.

## Automate it in Duaer

In Duaer, [Extract from File](/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/duaer-nodes-base.extractfromfile.md) › Extract From XLSX reads each row as an item. Follow it with [Convert to File](/integrations/builtin/core-nodes/duaer-nodes-base.converttofile.md) › Convert to CSV, or write the rows straight into Google Sheets or a database.
## Questions

### What is a BOM, and do I need it?

A BOM is three bytes at the start that tell Excel the file is UTF-8. Keep it when people open the CSV in Excel; for imports, Duaer suggests following what the target system expects.

### Can it read old .xls files?

Yes. The Duaer converter reads .xlsx, .xlsm, .xls, and .ods.

## Related

- [Free file converters from Duaer](https://doc.duaer.com/tools.md)
- [CSV to Excel converter (free, no upload)](https://doc.duaer.com/tools/csv-to-excel.md)
- [JSON to CSV converter (nested JSON flattened)](https://doc.duaer.com/tools/json-to-csv.md)
- [CSV to JSON converter (free, no upload)](https://doc.duaer.com/tools/csv-to-json.md)
- [Merge several Excel files into one sheet with Duaer](https://doc.duaer.com/tasks/merge-excel-files.md)