CSV
Comma-separated values
A CSV is a plain text file that holds a table, with each row on its own line and a comma between the values in it.
- Comma-delimited file
What it means
CSV stands for comma-separated values.1 The file is plain text. Each line is one row of a table, and commas separate the values in it. A value that contains a comma should be wrapped in double quotes, so the comma stays part of the value.1
It is a common way to move product data between systems. Shopify and WooCommerce both import and export products as CSV files.23
A CSV holds values and nothing else. Save a workbook as one and Excel reminds you “that only the current worksheet will be saved to the new file”. It also warns that the sheet may have features a text file cannot hold.4 Opening one carries its own risk: Excel “automatically converts data when you add data to a workbook, such as opening a .csv file”.5
Think of it like this
It is like reading a spreadsheet down the phone, row by row, saying “comma” between cells. The values arrive, but the colours, formulas and other tabs stay behind, and whoever writes it down decides what each value means.
For example
Why it matters
Your store reads the CSV, not the spreadsheet it was saved from. If Excel dropped a leading zero or rewrote a barcode before the save, the file carries the damage. WooCommerce’s advice suits any store: “review the saved CSV before importing it”.3
Not to be confused with
A CSV is not an Excel workbook, even when Excel opens it. A workbook keeps formatting, formulas and several sheets. A CSV keeps the values of one sheet and nothing more.
Sources
- RFC Editor. RFC 4180: Common Format and MIME Type for Comma-Separated Values (CSV) Files.
- Shopify Help Center. Using CSV files to import and export products.
- WooCommerce documentation. Product CSV Importer and Exporter.
- Microsoft Support. Import or export text (.txt or .csv) files.
- Microsoft Support. Set automatic data conversions.