CSV
Also known as: csv file, comma-separated values, plain-text spreadsheet
CSV (comma-separated values) is a plain-text format that stores tabular data as rows of values separated by commas. It carries no formatting, formulas, or charts, which makes CSV files tiny and universally readable across apps and programming languages.
- Plain text — rows separated by line breaks, cells by commas
- No formatting, formulas, or multiple sheets
- Tiny, portable, and readable by nearly every tool
What CSV does and does not store
A .csv file is just text: one row per line, with each cell separated by a comma (or sometimes a semicolon or tab). Any spreadsheet, database, or script can read it, which is why it is the default for exporting and importing data.
The trade-off is that CSV holds data only — no fonts, colors, multiple sheets, or formulas. Open it in Excel and it looks like a spreadsheet, but saving back to CSV discards everything except the raw values.
CSV and storage
Because there is no formatting overhead, CSV is among the most compact ways to store a table, and it compresses further in a ZIP. It is ideal for exports, backups, and moving data between tools.
To inspect one without a spreadsheet app, /tools/csv-viewer renders it as a clean table in the browser, and /tools/csv-to-json converts rows into JSON for use in code.