How to Convert Spreadsheets: XLSX, CSV, ODS, and PDF

Why Spreadsheet Conversion Is Essential

Spreadsheets are one of the most widely used file types in business, education, and personal productivity. From financial models and inventory tracking to scientific datasets and project timelines, spreadsheet data powers decision-making across every industry.

The challenge arises when you need to share that data with someone who uses a different application, import it into a database, present it to stakeholders who do not need to edit it, or archive it for long-term storage. Each of these scenarios calls for a different format — and knowing how to convert between them without losing data, formulas, or formatting is a critical skill.

This tutorial covers the four most common spreadsheet formats — XLSX, CSV, ODS, and PDF — along with detailed instructions for converting between them, preserving data integrity, and choosing the right format for every situation.

Understanding Spreadsheet Formats

XLSX (Microsoft Excel)

XLSX is the default format for Microsoft Excel and the most widely used spreadsheet format in the world. Introduced with Office 2007, it replaced the older binary XLS format with an XML-based structure stored in a ZIP container. XLSX supports formulas, macros (in the XLSM variant), conditional formatting, charts, pivot tables, data validation, and virtually every advanced spreadsheet feature.

CSV (Comma-Separated Values)

CSV is the simplest and most universal data exchange format. It stores tabular data as plain text, with each row on a new line and values separated by commas (or sometimes semicolons or tabs). CSV files contain no formatting, no formulas, no charts, and no multiple sheets — just raw data. This simplicity is both its greatest strength and its most significant limitation.

ODS (OpenDocument Spreadsheet)

ODS is the open-standard spreadsheet format defined by the OASIS OpenDocument specification. It is the default format for LibreOffice Calc, Apache OpenOffice Calc, and Google Sheets (which can import and export ODS). ODS supports formulas, formatting, charts, and multiple sheets, making it a full-featured alternative to XLSX.

PDF (Portable Document Format)

PDF is not a spreadsheet format, but it is one of the most common destinations for spreadsheet data. Converting a spreadsheet to PDF creates a fixed-layout document that preserves the visual appearance of the data while preventing editing. This is ideal for reports, invoices, financial statements, and any situation where the recipient should view but not modify the data.

Spreadsheet Format Comparison

The following table compares the key features and capabilities of each format:

*CSV has no technical row or column limits, but applications that open CSV files impose their own limits.

How to Convert XLSX to CSV

Converting XLSX to CSV is one of the most common spreadsheet conversions, typically used when importing data into databases, CRM systems, analytics platforms, or custom applications.

Method 1: Using ConvertIntoMP4 Online

The fastest way to convert XLSX to CSV:

1. Navigate to our XLSX converter
2. Upload your XLSX file
3. Select CSV as the output format
4. Click Convert
5. Download your CSV file

This method handles encoding correctly, supports large files, and produces clean CSV output.

Method 2: Using Microsoft Excel

1. Open the XLSX file in Excel
2. Go to File > Save As
3. Choose CSV (Comma delimited) (*.csv) from the format dropdown
4. Click Save
5. Confirm that you want to save only the active sheet

Method 3: Using Google Sheets

1. Upload the XLSX file to Google Drive
2. Open it with Google Sheets
3. Go to File > Download > Comma-separated values (.csv)

What You Lose in XLSX to CSV Conversion

This is critical to understand before converting:

• All formatting — fonts, colors, borders, cell sizes
• All formulas — only the current calculated values are retained
• Multiple sheets — CSV supports only one sheet; you must export each sheet separately
• Charts and graphs — completely removed
• Data types — everything becomes text (dates, numbers, and currencies may need special handling)
• Merged cells — the value appears in the first cell only; merged cells are split

How to Convert CSV to XLSX

Converting CSV to XLSX is common when you receive raw data that needs formatting, formulas, or visualization.

Method 1: Using ConvertIntoMP4 Online

1. Go to our CSV converter
2. Upload your CSV file
3. Select XLSX as the output format
4. Download the converted file

Method 2: Using Microsoft Excel

1. Open Excel and go to Data > From Text/CSV
2. Select your CSV file
3. In the import wizard, verify the delimiter (comma, semicolon, tab)
4. Check that data types are correctly detected (especially dates and numbers)
5. Click Load
6. Save as XLSX

Method 3: Using the Command Line (Python)

For developers and power users:

import pandas as pd

df = pd.read_csv('data.csv', encoding='utf-8')
df.to_excel('data.xlsx', index=False, engine='openpyxl')

Handling CSV Encoding Issues

CSV files do not have a standardized encoding. You may encounter files in UTF-8, Latin-1, Windows-1252, or other encodings. Common symptoms of encoding problems include garbled special characters (accented letters, currency symbols, etc.).

When importing CSV files, always verify the encoding. If characters appear corrupted, try opening the file with a different encoding setting. Most modern tools default to UTF-8, which is the recommended encoding for new CSV files.

How to Convert Spreadsheets to PDF

Converting spreadsheets to PDF is essential for sharing reports, invoices, and financial data that should not be edited.

Method 1: Using ConvertIntoMP4 Online

1. Navigate to our PDF converter
2. Upload your XLSX, CSV, or ODS file
3. Select PDF as the output format
4. Download the result

Method 2: Using Microsoft Excel

1. Open the spreadsheet in Excel
2. Adjust page layout settings (margins, orientation, scaling)
3. Use Print Preview to verify how the PDF will look
4. Go to File > Save As and select PDF
5. Click Options to choose which sheets to include

Best Practices for Spreadsheet-to-PDF Conversion

• Set print areas to control exactly which cells are included
• Use landscape orientation for wide spreadsheets
• Enable "Fit Sheet on One Page" for summary tables
• Add headers and footers with page numbers and dates
• Freeze header rows so they repeat on every page of the PDF
• Remove gridlines unless they improve readability

How to Convert Between XLSX and ODS

XLSX to ODS

Converting from XLSX to ODS is straightforward but may involve some compatibility issues:

1. Upload your file to our document converter
2. Select ODS as the output format
3. Download and verify the result in LibreOffice Calc

ODS to XLSX

The reverse conversion follows the same process:

1. Upload the ODS file to our XLSX converter
2. Select XLSX as output
3. Download and verify in Excel

Compatibility Considerations

While XLSX and ODS are both full-featured spreadsheet formats, there are differences:

• Formulas: Most common formulas convert cleanly, but advanced Excel functions (XLOOKUP, LAMBDA, dynamic arrays) may not have ODS equivalents
• Conditional formatting: Complex conditional formatting rules may simplify or break during conversion
• VBA macros: Excel macros do not convert to ODS; LibreOffice uses a different scripting language (LibreOffice Basic or Python)
• Pivot tables: Excel pivot tables may not convert correctly to ODS
• Charts: Most chart types convert, but advanced formatting options may change

Conversion Path Recommendations

Not sure which format to convert to? Use this decision matrix:

Handling Large Spreadsheets

Large spreadsheets present unique challenges during conversion. Files with hundreds of thousands of rows or dozens of sheets require special attention.

Performance Considerations

• CSV is fastest: Converting large datasets to CSV is significantly faster than converting to XLSX or ODS because there is no formatting overhead
• Memory usage: XLSX files with extensive formatting can consume substantial memory during conversion. If your file is very large, consider splitting it into smaller chunks
• Formula recalculation: When converting between XLSX and ODS, formulas may need to recalculate, which can be slow for complex models

Splitting Large Files

If your spreadsheet is too large for comfortable handling:

1. Split by sheets — export each sheet as a separate file
2. Split by rows — divide the data into chunks (e.g., 100,000 rows per file)
3. Split by columns — separate the data into logical groups

Data Validation After Conversion

Always validate your data after conversion, especially for large files:

• Compare row and column counts between source and target
• Spot-check values in the first, last, and middle rows
• Verify that numeric precision is maintained (especially for financial data)
• Check that dates converted correctly (date format differences are a common issue)

Common Conversion Problems and Solutions

Date Format Issues

Dates are the most problematic data type in spreadsheet conversion. Different regions use different date formats (MM/DD/YYYY vs DD/MM/YYYY), and CSV files do not store date formatting information.

Solution: Before exporting to CSV, format all date columns using the ISO 8601 format (YYYY-MM-DD). This is unambiguous and universally recognized.

Number Precision

Floating-point numbers may gain or lose decimal places during conversion. Financial data is particularly sensitive to this issue.

Solution: Set explicit decimal precision in your spreadsheet before converting. For financial data, consider storing amounts as integers (cents instead of dollars) in CSV files.

Character Encoding

Special characters (accented letters, currency symbols, CJK characters) may become garbled if the encoding is not handled correctly.

Solution: Always use UTF-8 encoding when creating CSV files. When importing, explicitly specify UTF-8 as the encoding.

Leading Zeros

CSV files store data as plain text, but spreadsheet applications often interpret numeric-looking values as numbers, stripping leading zeros. This is a problem for ZIP codes, phone numbers, and product codes.

Solution: When opening CSV files in Excel, use the Data > From Text/CSV import wizard and set affected columns to "Text" format before loading.

Formula Errors After Format Conversion

When converting between XLSX and ODS, some formulas may produce errors due to function name differences or syntax variations.

Solution: Review all formulas after conversion. Common issues include:

• XLOOKUP (Excel) has no direct ODS equivalent — use VLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH instead
• Array formulas may behave differently
• Named ranges may not transfer correctly

Google Sheets Conversion Tips

Google Sheets adds another dimension to spreadsheet conversion because it is cloud-based and uses its own formula syntax.

Importing to Google Sheets

Google Sheets can directly open XLSX, CSV, ODS, and TSV files:

1. Upload the file to Google Drive
2. Right-click and select "Open with Google Sheets"
3. Or use File > Import within an existing sheet

Exporting from Google Sheets

Go to File > Download and choose from:

• Microsoft Excel (.xlsx)
• OpenDocument Format (.ods)
• PDF Document (.pdf)
• Comma-separated values (.csv)
• Tab-separated values (.tsv)

Google Sheets Formula Compatibility

Google Sheets uses its own set of functions that largely overlap with Excel but include unique functions like GOOGLEFINANCE, IMPORTDATA, IMPORTHTML, and QUERY. These functions will not work in exported XLSX or ODS files.

Automating Spreadsheet Conversions

If you regularly need to convert spreadsheets, automation can save significant time.

Using ConvertIntoMP4 Batch Processing

Our platform supports batch conversion for spreadsheets:

1. Upload multiple XLSX, CSV, or ODS files at once
2. Select the desired output format
3. Convert all files simultaneously
4. Download the results as a ZIP archive

Using Python Scripts

For developers who need programmatic conversion:

import pandas as pd
import glob

# Convert all CSV files in a directory to XLSX
for csv_file in glob.glob('input/*.csv'):
    df = pd.read_csv(csv_file)
    xlsx_name = csv_file.replace('.csv', '.xlsx').replace('input/', 'output/')
    df.to_excel(xlsx_name, index=False)

Using Command-Line Tools

LibreOffice supports headless conversion from the command line:

libreoffice --headless --convert-to xlsx input.csv
libreoffice --headless --convert-to pdf input.xlsx
libreoffice --headless --convert-to csv input.ods

Best Practices for Spreadsheet Data Management

Use Consistent Formatting

Before any conversion, clean up your spreadsheet:

• Remove empty rows and columns
• Ensure consistent data types within each column
• Use ISO date formats (YYYY-MM-DD)
• Avoid merged cells
• Place headers in the first row

Document Your Data

Include a README or metadata sheet that describes:

• What each column represents
• Units of measurement
• Data sources
• Date ranges
• Any transformations applied

Keep Original Files

Always preserve the original file alongside any converted versions. Conversion is often lossy (especially to CSV or PDF), and you may need to return to the original for re-conversion with different settings.

Test the Roundtrip

Before committing to a conversion workflow, test the roundtrip: convert from format A to format B and back to format A. Compare the original and roundtripped files to identify any data loss.

Conclusion

Spreadsheet conversion is a routine but nuanced task. The right format depends on your goal — XLSX for full-featured editing, CSV for data exchange, ODS for open-standard compatibility, and PDF for presentation and archiving.

By understanding the strengths and limitations of each format, following the best practices outlined in this guide, and using reliable conversion tools like our XLSX converter, CSV converter, and document converter, you can move data between formats confidently and without loss.

Whatever your conversion needs, always validate the output, preserve your originals, and choose the simplest format that meets your requirements.