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Import and export Excel and CSV files

Bring an Excel workbook (.xlsx or .xls) or a .csv file into PlexiiSheets, and save a spreadsheet as .xlsx or .csv to send or open elsewhere.

All plansUpdated

PlexiiSheets opens Excel workbooks and .csv files, and saves your spreadsheets back out as either. Use it to work on a file someone sent you, or to send your figures to someone who uses other tools.

Before you start

  • Importing and exporting are on every plan.
  • PlexiiSheets reads .xlsx, .xls and .csv files, and saves .xlsx and .csv files.
  • Have the file on your computer, or know where you want to save the copy.

Start a new spreadsheet from a file

To keep the file as a spreadsheet of its own, start a new one from it on a desk:

  1. Open the desk, click Add widget in the header and click Spreadsheet.
  2. In the Add spreadsheet window, click Import a file.
  3. Choose the .xlsx, .xls or .csv file and open it.

PlexiDesk makes a new spreadsheet named after the file, without its extension, and puts it on the desk. It is also in Office, so you can open it in PlexiiSheets. See Spreadsheet widget.

Import into an open spreadsheet

  1. Choose File > Import (.xlsx / .csv), or click the folder button on the toolbar (Import / export) and choose Import .xlsx / .csv.
  2. In the Import spreadsheet window, choose the file and open it.

The file replaces everything in the spreadsheet, every tab included. A line above the sheet says Imported and the file's name. If you did not mean to replace it, click Undo on the toolbar.

You can also import from the AI Assistant: click Assistant beside the formula bar, then Import CSV or workbook. It does the same import.

What comes in

From an Excel workbook:

  • Every sheet, as a tab with the same name.
  • Values and formulas. A formula comes in as a formula, so it keeps calculating.
  • Number formats, such as currency, percentages and dates.
  • Column widths and row heights.
  • Merged cells and frozen rows and columns.
  • Drop-down lists and number rules set with data validation, where the list is typed into the rule. See Data validation and dropdowns.
  • Conditional formatting: highlight rules, colour scales, data bars and icon sets. See Conditional formatting.

Fonts, fills and other cell styling are not brought in, so the line above the sheet says the styling is approximate. Charts in the workbook are not brought in either. Add them again in PlexiiSheets if you need them. See Charts and sparklines in a sheet.

From a .csv file, PlexiiSheets makes one tab holding the file's rows and columns.

Export to Excel or CSV

  1. Choose File > Download > Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) or Comma-separated values (.csv). Or click the folder button on the toolbar (Import / export) and choose Export .xlsx or Export .csv.
  2. In the save window, choose where to save the file. The spreadsheet's title is filled in as the file name.
  3. Click Save.

A line above the sheet says Saved and where the file went. Click × on the line to clear it.

What goes out

An .xlsx file holds the whole spreadsheet:

  • Every tab, with its name.
  • Values, and formulas as live formulas.
  • Bold, italic and underline, fonts, text and fill colours, alignment and number formats.
  • Column widths, row heights, merged cells and frozen rows and columns.
  • Data validation and conditional formatting rules.

A .csv file holds one tab: the one you are on. It has no formatting. A cell with a formula is saved as the formula itself, starting with =, rather than its result.

Charts, pivot tables, queries and the sheet's AI features stay in PlexiiSheets and are not part of either file.

Common questions

Importing replaced my sheet. Click Undo on the toolbar, or press ⌘ Z on a Mac or Ctrl Z on Windows, to get the previous contents back.

I need the results, not the formulas, in my .csv file. Export as .xlsx instead and open it in your spreadsheet app, which calculates the formulas, then save a .csv from there.

My .csv file only has one tab. That is how .csv files work: one table each. Switch to each tab in turn and export it, or export as .xlsx to keep every tab together.

The import says it could not read the file. Check that the file opens in the app that made it and is a real .xlsx, .xls or .csv file, not one renamed from another format. Save it again from that app and import the new copy.

Where did my exported file go? To the folder you chose in the save window. The line above the sheet shows the full location.

Still need help? Contact support at [email protected].