How to open CSV file in Microsoft Excel desktop?

When opening CSV files in Excel, we recommend using Data → Get Data → From Text/CSV instead of double-clicking the file.

This ensures Excel correctly detects delimiters, encoding, and data types.

Step-by-Step Instructions

1. Open Microsoft Excel.
2. Create a new blank workbook.
3. Go to the Data tab in the top menu.
4. Click Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV.
5. Select your CSV file and click Import.
6. In the preview window:
   • Verify the Delimiter (usually comma , )
   • Check File Origin / Encoding (UTF-8 should be detected)
7. Click Load to insert the data into your sheet.

Why use this method?

Opening a CSV via Get Data helps avoid common issues such as:

• Broken non-English characters (encoding problems)
• All data appearing in one column
• Incorrect date or number formats
• Leading zeros being removed
• This method works for large CSV files more reliably than opening them directly.

Alternative Option: Opening a CSV Directly in Excel

If you open a CSV file by double-clicking it or using File → Open, Excel may not correctly recognize the file structure.

Common issues you may see:

• All values appear in one single column
• Wrong delimiter is used (comma instead of semicolon, or vice versa)
• Dates and numbers are formatted incorrectly
• Non-English characters are broken

If your data appears in one column, you can manually split it using Excel’s Text to Columns feature.

How to Split Data into Columns (Text to Columns)

1. Select the column that contains all the data (A column).
2. Go to the Data tab.
3. Click Text to Columns.
4. Choose Delimited, then click Next.
5. Select the correct Delimiter - Comma.
6. Click Next, then Finish.

Excel will split the data into separate columns.