How to save Excel and Google Sheets as CSV UTF-8 without breaking your data

Most imports start from a spreadsheet, and most import problems start with how it was saved: accents that turn into symbols, dates read the wrong way round, zeros that disappear. This guide shows how to save a clean CSV from Excel and Google Sheets.

• CSV UTF-8
• Separators
• Dates
• Leading zeros
• Several sheets

Excel for Windows

1. Choose File, then Save As (or Save a Copy) and pick a folder.
2. As the file type choose **CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (*.csv)**. UTF-8 keeps accents and every alphabet intact.
3. Click Save. Excel saves only the sheet that is open and drops all formatting.

Excel for Mac

1. Choose File, then Save As.
2. Under File Format choose CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) (.csv).
3. Click Save. As on Windows, only the open sheet is saved.

Google Sheets

1. Open the tab you want to export.
2. Choose File, then Download, and pick the CSV format.
3. Repeat for each tab: a CSV holds one sheet.

Several sheets in one workbook

A CSV file holds one sheet. Save each sheet as its own CSV (companies, contacts, deals), or keep the workbook as an Excel file if the tool you import into reads Excel.

Semicolons instead of commas

In countries where the comma is the decimal sign, Excel separates columns with semicolons, even in a file called comma delimited. That is normal, and many import tools read both. To change it for Excel only: Excel Options, Advanced, clear Use system separators and set your own. Windows also has a list separator for all programs, under Region settings, Additional settings, List separator, which changes every app on the computer.

Dates and numbers

• A date like 03-04-2026 means 3 April in one country and 4 March in another. Where you can, write dates as 2026-04-03 before you save.
• In Google Sheets, File, Settings, Locale decides how dates, numbers and currencies are written for the whole file.
• Check amounts after saving: 1.250 can mean one thousand two hundred and fifty, or one and a quarter, depending on the country.

Leading zeros and long numbers

Excel removes leading zeros (postal codes, customer numbers) and keeps only 15 digits of a long number. Format those columns as Text before you type or paste the values, or start the value with an apostrophe. Formatting afterwards does not bring lost zeros back.

Check the file before you import it

• Open the CSV in a plain text editor: the first line should be your column names, and accents should look right.
• Make sure every row has the same number of separators; a stray separator in an address shifts the columns.
• Keep the original workbook next to the CSV as your archive.