When a folder contains dozens or even hundreds of Excel spreadsheets that need to be converted to CSV format, opening and saving each one individually is very time-consuming and prone to missed conversions or saving to the wrong location. This article uses HeSoft Doc Batch Tool as an example to demonstrate how to batch convert multiple Excel files such as xlsx and xls to CSV files using the Excel tool in office software. The article includes steps such as a preview of the results before and after processing, function entry selection, file import, setting the save location, and starting the process, making it suitable for reference in scenarios like data organization, system import, and report exchange.
In daily office work, data organization, and system integration tasks, Excel files often need to be converted to CSV format. For example, a business system requires importing CSV files, data analysis tools are better suited for reading plain text tables, or a team needs to organize multiple xlsx spreadsheets into a universal format. If there is only one file, manually opening Excel and saving it as CSV is not complicated; but when there are dozens or even hundreds of Excel files in a folder, converting them one by one not only wastes time but also easily leads to issues such as missed processing, inconsistent naming, and disorganized save directories.
This article aims to solve the problem of "batch converting many Excel files to CSV format." We will use the office software shown in the screenshot— HeSoft Doc Batch Tool . It is positioned as a batch processing tool for documents, spreadsheets, PDFs, images, and other files. Its core value lies in reducing repetitive operations and consolidating file tasks that originally required manual handling into a single process. Below, we will explain how to convert multiple Excel files to CSV files in one go, using before-processing effects, after-processing effects, and software operation screenshots.
Applicable Scenarios: When is Batch Excel-to-CSV Conversion Needed?
Converting Excel to CSV is not simply a format change; it typically occurs at key points in data flow. CSV is a format that saves tabular data as plain text, and many databases, ERPs, CRMs, data analysis platforms, automation scripts, and online systems support CSV import. Therefore, when Excel files need to enter other systems, converting xlsx or xls to csv is often the first step.
Common scenarios include: the sales department needs to convert multiple sales data Excel files into CSV before importing them into a business system; project managers need to convert project task sheets into CSV for reading by other tools; HR or finance personnel need to organize multiple Excel files such as employee salary sheets, order records, and customer information into a unified format; operations personnel receive multiple feedback survey forms and need to convert them to CSV for consolidation and analysis. For these scenarios, if done manually, each file needs to be opened, saved as, have the format selected, and the save confirmed, which is very tedious.
The advantage of batch processing is: select multiple Excel files or import them directly from a folder at once, and execute the "Convert Excel to CSV" task uniformly. This not only saves significant time spent on repetitive clicks but also reduces human error. Especially when file names are already relatively standardized, batch conversion usually preserves the original file name, changing only the extension, for example, Sales Data.xlsx converted to Sales Data.csv, Project Tasks.xlsx converted to Project Tasks.csv, making subsequent verification easier.
Effect Preview: Before Processing are Multiple Excel Files, After Processing They Uniformly Become CSV
Before starting the operation, let's look at the changes before and after processing, which helps clarify the goal of this tutorial. Before processing, the folder contains multiple Excel workbook files with the .xlsx extension. As can be seen from the screenshot, the example files include Sales Data.xlsx, Project Tasks.xlsx, Product List.xlsx, Order Records.xlsx, Meeting Notes.xlsx, Feedback Survey.xlsx, Employee Salaries.xlsx, Customer Information.xlsx, etc. These files are all of the same type, Excel spreadsheets that need to be converted.
After the batch conversion is complete, the same batch of files will become CSV format, with the main part of the file name kept consistent, but the extension changed from .xlsx to .csv. For example, Sales Data.xlsx will correspondingly generate Sales Data.csv, Project Tasks.xlsx will generate Project Tasks.csv, and Product List.xlsx will generate Product List.csv. This allows users to very intuitively judge: the original Excel spreadsheets have been converted into the target CSV files.
For users who need to batch import into a system, this result of "batch xlsx to csv" is very clear: it retains the original business file names for easy source tracing, while unifying the target format for subsequent uploading, importing, or handing over to scripts.
Operation Steps: Using HeSoft Doc Batch Tool to Batch Convert Excel to CSV
Step One: Enter the Excel Tools Category and Find the Excel to CSV Feature
After opening HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , you can see different types of tool categories on the left side of the software, such as Word Tools, Excel Tools, PowerPoint Tools, PDF Tools, Text Tools, Image Tools, etc. As the processing objects this time are Excel spreadsheets, you need to first click "Excel Tools" on the left.
After entering the Excel Tools category, the main interface will list multiple batch processing functions related to Excel. From the screenshot, you can see these include Excel to JPG Image, Excel to Docx, Excel to PDF, Excel to Xls, Excel to Xlsx, Excel to Txt, Excel to HTML Webpage, Excel to Json, Excel to XML, etc. What we need this time is "Excel to Csv," which is the 8th item in the screenshot, with the descriptive text "Batch convert Excel files to Csv format."
The purpose of this step is to select the correct conversion task. After selecting "Excel to Csv," the software will enter a dedicated batch conversion page. The expected result is: the interface title changes to "Excel to Csv," and the operation areas related to adding files, importing, and processing workflows appear.
Step Two: Add the Excel Files to be Converted or Import from a Folder
After entering the "Excel to Csv" function page, you can see two main buttons at the top of the interface: "Add Files" and "Import Files from Folder." These offer two common import methods: if the Excel files to be processed are scattered in different locations, you can click "Add Files" to select files individually or in batches; if all files to be converted are already in the same folder, it is more suitable to use "Import Files from Folder" to add all relevant Excel files from that folder to the task list at once.
The screenshot shows that 8 records have been imported, with the list displaying information such as sequence number, name, path, extension, creation time, modification time, and actions. File names include Customer Information.xlsx, Employee Salaries.xlsx, Feedback Survey.xlsx, Meeting Notes.xlsx, Order Records.xlsx, Product List.xlsx, Project Tasks.xlsx, Sales Data.xlsx; the extension column shows xlsx. The role of this list is very important, as it allows the user to verify whether the files to be processed are correct before formal conversion.
If you find that a certain file does not need to be processed, you can use the delete icon in the "Actions" column on the right side of the list to remove that record. There is also a "Clear" button at the top of the interface, suitable for use when you have imported the wrong folder or want to re-select files. After completing the import, the expected result is: all Excel files that need to be converted to CSV appear in the task list, and the summary at the bottom shows the number of records, such as "Record Count: 8" in the screenshot.
Step Three: Verify the File List and Click Next to Enter Save Location Settings
After importing files, it's advisable not to process immediately but to verify three pieces of information first. First, check if the file names are all the Excel files intended for this conversion; second, check if the paths come from the correct folder, to avoid accidentally adding test files or old version files to the task; third, check if the extensions meet expectations, such as xlsx or xls. The task list in the screenshot clearly lists this information, suitable for a confirmation before batch processing.
Once confirmed, click the "Next" button at the bottom of the page. The progress bar in the screenshot shows that step 1, "Select records to be processed," is currently active, followed later by step 2, "Set save location," and step 3, "Start processing." Therefore, the purpose of clicking next is to enter the output directory setting phase, deciding where the converted CSV files should be saved.
Regarding the save location, it is recommended to choose an easily recognizable directory based on business needs. For instance, you could save them near the original files or create a separate CSV output folder. The advantage of this is easier differentiation between the pre-processing Excel source files and the post-processing CSV results, especially when dealing with a large number of files—saving them separately reduces confusion.
Step Four: Set the Save Location and Start Processing
After entering the "Set save location" phase, set the save directory for the conversion results according to the on-screen prompts. Although the screenshot doesn't display the specific save location options, it's reasonable to infer from the progress bar that the software will allow the user to confirm the CSV file output location before officially starting. Once set, continue to the "Start processing" step to execute the batch conversion task.
The expected result of this step is: the software generates CSV files one by one from the Excel files in the task list. After conversion, you can open the output directory to view the results; the file extensions should be .csv, and the main file names should correspond to the original Excel files. Consistent with the earlier effect preview, the processed files will appear as Sales Data.csv, Project Tasks.csv, Product List.csv, etc.
Common Questions and Considerations
1. Can both xlsx and xls be understood as Excel files?
In office scenarios, Excel files might be .xlsx or .xls. The example files in the screenshots for this article are mainly xlsx files. The function name, "Excel to Csv," is typically used for converting Excel spreadsheets to CSV. In actual operation, it is recommended to refer to the extension displayed in the software's import list and verify if files are correctly recognized after importing.
2. Do I need to back up the original Excel files before conversion?
When batch processing files, it is advisable to keep the original Excel files. CSV is a more universal text table format, but it is not completely equivalent to Excel workbooks. For instance, multiple worksheets, complex formatting, formulas, and styles in Excel might not be preserved in their original form in CSV. Therefore, batch conversion is more suitable for data exchange and system imports, rather than replacing the original Excel archives.
3. Why is it not enough to only check the extension after conversion?
The extension changing from .xlsx to .csv indicates that the format conversion is done, but if these CSVs are to be imported into a business system, you still need to spot-check the content to see if it meets requirements, such as column names, delimiters, encoding display, date format, etc. It's recommended to test the complete workflow with a small number of files first, confirming the system can read them normally, before batch processing all files.
4. Will file names containing spaces or English names affect the conversion?
The example file names in the screenshots contain spaces, such as Sales Data.xlsx, Project Tasks.xlsx. After processing, they remain as Sales Data.csv, Project Tasks.csv, indicating that the main part of the file name can be preserved during batch conversion. To improve compatibility, it is still recommended in actual work to avoid using overly complex special symbols.
Summary: Using Batch Processing Tools to Reduce Repetitive Labor in Excel-to-CSV Conversion
Batch converting multiple Excel files to CSV format essentially means handing over repetitive, mechanical, and error-prone "Save As" operations to office software. Through HeSoft Doc Batch Tool , users only need to enter Excel Tools, select "Excel to Csv," add files or import from a folder, verify the list, set the save location, and start processing to uniformly convert a batch of xlsx or xls files into CSV format.
If you are handling multiple Excel files such as sales data, project tasks, order records, customer information, employee salary sheets, etc., and need to import them into a system or hand them over to a data tool, it is recommended to prioritize using the batch conversion method. Compared to opening Excel one by one to manually save as CSV, batch processing not only saves time but is also more conducive to maintaining file naming and output directory standards. The next time you face a large number of Excel-to-CSV tasks, you can follow the steps in this article to operate directly, improving file processing efficiency.