How to Fix CSV Encoding in Excel: UTF-8, BOM, and Garbled Text

If a CSV looks garbled in Excel, import it as UTF-8 instead of opening it by double-clicking. Choose Data → From Text/CSV, select your file, then check its encoding and column separator. When exporting a new CSV for Excel, UTF-8 with BOM helps some versions display characters correctly. If your file opens in one column, fix the separator; if IDs lose their leading zeros, import those columns as Text.

What problem are you seeing?

Letters look garbledOpen the CSV using UTF-8 UTF-8 or UTF-8 with BOM?Choose the right file format Everything appears in one columnCheck commas and semicolons 00123 becomes 123Import codes as text Need to export an Excel file?Convert XLSX or XLS to CSV Text now shows as ???Find out if the original text is still available

How to fix garbled CSV text in Excel

Start with what looks wrong. Garbled letters, misplaced columns, and changed numbers have different causes. UTF-8 with BOM can help Excel display text correctly when you open a CSV directly, but it cannot recover characters already replaced with ???.

Symptom	Likely cause	What to do
José instead of José	Excel read the text using the wrong encoding	Import the original CSV and select UTF-8. If you are exporting again, try UTF-8 with BOM.
测试 instead of Chinese text	Excel used the wrong text encoding	Choose Data → From Text/CSV, select UTF-8 for File Origin, and check the preview before loading.
Everything lands in column A	Excel expects a different column separator	Import the file and select Comma, Semicolon, or Tab to match it. There is no need to change the encoding.
00123 becomes 123	Excel treated the ID as a number	Import the CSV and set that column to Text before loading. A BOM will not protect the zeros.
03/04/2026 changes meaning	Excel interpreted the date using regional settings	Choose the correct date format during import, or keep that column as Text. Check the day and month order.
Characters already show as ???	The saved file may no longer contain the original text	Look for the original Excel workbook or a backup, then export a fresh CSV.
Formula cells show values only	CSV saves values, not Excel formulas	Keep the original Excel file if you need to view or edit formulas.

A BOM can help Excel recognize UTF-8 when you open a CSV directly. If your file has no BOM, you can still import it and choose UTF-8 yourself. See Microsoft’s UTF-8 CSV guidance. For separator and column-type controls during import, use Microsoft’s text import documentation.

How to open a UTF-8 CSV in Excel without garbled characters

If the file contains José instead of José, Excel may have read UTF-8 with the wrong encoding. Keep the original file and try these steps:

1. Open Excel and select Data → From Text/CSV, or Data → Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV.
2. Choose your original CSV file.
3. Check the preview. If the characters look wrong, set File Origin to UTF-8. Also choose the correct delimiter (Comma, Semicolon, Tab, or another separator).
4. If you need to preserve IDs such as 00123, select Transform Data. In Power Query, select the affected columns and choose Data Type → Text. If an automatic Changed Type step has already converted them, remove or edit that step first.
5. Check that the names, IDs, dates, and columns look correct. Select Close & Load. If no changes are needed, you can usually choose Load from the initial preview instead.

Excel menus differ by version. Microsoft explains opening UTF-8 CSV files and keeping IDs as text during import.

UTF-8 versus UTF-8 with BOM: which should you choose?

UTF-8 supports text such as José, 東京, and 李雷. A BOM (byte order mark) is a short, optional marker at the beginning of the file. For UTF-8, its three bytes are EF BB BF. The CSV data after this marker is unchanged.

UTF-8 does not require a BOM. Its main benefit here is Excel compatibility, as explained in Microsoft’s UTF-8 CSV instructions. A BOM will not prevent Excel from changing a number such as 00123 to 123.

Download and compare real UTF-8 CSV files

Download the two CSV files below and compare them in Excel. Both contain the same names, cities, IDs beginning with zero, and a company name with a comma. The only difference is the three-byte BOM at the start of the second file.

ID,Name,City,Note
00123,José,東京,"ACME, Inc."
00456,李雷,深圳,"Works in 東京"

Open each file in a text editor and then in Excel. Your version of Excel may read both correctly. Even when the file contains 00123, Excel may remove the zeros when opening it directly, so import that column as Text if it matters.

The company name "ACME, Inc." is enclosed in quotes because it contains a comma. This keeps the name in one column. If your CSV opens with too many columns, check how commas and quotation marks are used before changing the encoding.

What is CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) in Excel?

CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) is an Excel option for saving the active sheet as a UTF-8 text file. A comma usually separates the columns, although some regional settings use semicolons. UTF-8 controls how characters are stored; the separator controls how they are split into columns.

CSV contains one table, not multiple worksheets. It cannot store Excel formulas, colors, charts, or workbook structure. Keep the original XLSX for editing. See Microsoft’s CSV import/export guide.

How to convert an Excel file to CSV UTF-8 online

Use our free XLSX to CSV converter when you have an Excel workbook and want to export CSV files in your browser without uploading it.

1. Open the Excel to CSV converter and select an XLSX or XLS file up to 10 MB.
2. Review the worksheet preview. Each visible sheet will be exported; hidden sheets are skipped.
3. Under Text encoding, choose UTF-8 with BOM (the default) or UTF-8.
4. Under Column separator, select Comma, Semicolon, Tab, or Pipe. Decide whether to include the first row.
5. Click Convert to CSV, then Download CSV or Download ZIP for multiple visible sheets.

Already have a CSV with garbled text? You do not need to convert another Excel file. Follow the steps to open your CSV with the correct encoding instead.

Convert Excel to UTF-8 CSV →

How to save as CSV UTF-8 in Microsoft Excel

If you're working in Microsoft Excel, select the worksheet you want to export and choose File → Save As. Select CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) if that option is available, then save a copy and check that its text and columns look correct.

Excel saves only the active worksheet as CSV, so repeat these steps for each sheet you need. CSV also leaves out formulas, charts, colors, and other Excel features. Keep the original workbook if you want to edit it later. See Microsoft’s guide to features lost when changing file formats.

How to keep leading zeros, dates, and large IDs

UTF-8 with BOM helps Excel read characters correctly, but it does not stop Excel from guessing that 00123 is a number or that a text value is a date.

1. Import the CSV through Data → From Text/CSV.
2. Select Transform Data to open Power Query.
3. If your IDs or dates have already changed in the preview, look for the Changed Type step in Power Query. Remove or adjust it before continuing.
4. Select the ID, postal-code, or similar column and set its Data Type to Text, then choose Close & Load.

Some newer Excel versions offer settings to control automatic number conversion. Our converter uses the values as they appear in the saved workbook, including leading zeros shown by cell formatting when available. However, Excel may change them again when you reopen the CSV. If the original digits have already been lost, a different encoding will not bring them back.

How to check your CSV before sharing it

Before sharing an important CSV, test a few rows with accented characters, Chinese or Japanese text, IDs starting with zero, and dates. Open the file in a text editor first, then import it into Excel or the app you plan to use.

• Check that non-English characters look unchanged.
• Check that names or notes containing commas and quotation marks stay in the correct column.
• Check the first row, especially if it is a header.
• Check long IDs, postal codes, dates, percentages, and currency display.
• For a multi-sheet workbook, confirm that the ZIP contains every expected visible sheet.

Frequently asked questions

Does every UTF-8 CSV need a BOM?

No. A BOM is a short marker at the beginning of a UTF-8 file. It is often useful when people will double-click the CSV in Excel on Windows. Choose plain UTF-8 instead when the app or service receiving the file specifically asks for it.

What is a CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited) file in Excel?

It is Excel’s option for saving a worksheet as a CSV file using UTF-8 text encoding. Commas usually separate the columns, although regional settings can affect the separator. CSV saves the data from one worksheet, but not formulas, formatting, or other sheets. If your data opens in one column, check the separator, not the encoding.

How do I open a UTF-8 CSV in Excel without garbled characters?

In Excel, choose Data → From Text/CSV (or Data → Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV). Select your file, choose UTF-8 if the text looks wrong, and check the column separator before loading. If you need to keep leading zeros, select Transform Data and set those columns to Text first. Menu names vary by Excel version.

Why does my CSV open in one column in Excel?

Excel may expect a different column separator from the one in your CSV. Import the file using Data → From Text/CSV and select Comma, Semicolon, or Tab to match the file. Changing UTF-8 settings will not fix the separator.

Will UTF-8 with BOM preserve leading zeros and dates?

No. A BOM helps Excel recognize the text encoding, but it does not tell Excel which columns contain IDs or dates. Excel may still change 00123 to 123 or interpret a date differently. Import the CSV and set those columns to Text before loading.

Can one UTF-8 CSV contain every worksheet in my workbook?

No. CSV represents one sheet of rows and columns, not a workbook. Export each worksheet as its own CSV. This converter creates one CSV per visible worksheet and packs them into a ZIP when the workbook has more than one visible sheet.

Official Microsoft resources

For details that may vary by Excel version, see these Microsoft Support pages:

• Opening CSV UTF-8 files correctly in Excel
• Importing or exporting CSV and text files
• Keeping leading zeros and large numbers
• Excel automatic data conversion options

Last reviewed: November 12, 2026.