How to Convert Excel or CSV Data to JSON
Updated 7 November 2026 · 5 min read
Turn a spreadsheet into JSON for an app or API: preparing the sheet, exporting CSV, choosing options and avoiding common data problems.
Prepare the spreadsheet
Clean data converts cleanly. Before exporting:
- Put one header row at the top with short, clear column names — they become JSON keys.
- Remove merged cells, totals rows and notes below the table.
- Keep one type of value per column (only numbers in a price column, for example).
Export as CSV
In Excel choose File → Save As → ‘CSV UTF-8’. In Google Sheets choose File → Download → Comma-separated values. UTF-8 matters if your data includes Hindi, Gujarati, ₹ or other special characters.
Convert
Paste the CSV or choose the file in CSV to JSON. The tool detects comma, semicolon or tab delimiters and handles quoted values that contain commas. Each row becomes one object in a JSON array.
Numbers vs text
With ‘Detect numbers’ on, prices and quantities become real numbers. Values with leading zeros — phone numbers, PIN codes, employee IDs — stay as text so the zeros are not lost. Check a few records in the preview before using the output.
Going the other way
To open API data in a spreadsheet, use JSON to CSV. Nested fields become dotted column names such as address.city, and the CSV opens cleanly in Excel when imported as UTF-8.