CSV opens in one column or shows wrong characters: how to fix it

Q: How do I keep the leading zeros of a code?

A plain 00123 is read as the number 123. Use the formula ="00123": it shows and saves 00123. A value that starts with = in a .csv is read as a formula, so the file can hold it.

By THEO GRIG MEDIA PRO SRL • Last updated: 7 November 2026

PaperSheets reads UTF-8 files separated by commas, or by semicolons when the file has no comma at all. A tab-separated file stays in one column and another encoding shows � instead of accents. Re-save the file as UTF-8 with commas, then import it.

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Fix a .csv that opens wrong, in 6 steps

Open PaperSheets, choose File, then Import a file… (or drop the file on the start page). The table opens with each value in its cell.
If everything is in column A, check the separator. PaperSheets splits on commas, or on semicolons only when the whole file has no comma. A tab-separated file is not split at all.
A semicolon file that also uses decimal commas (3,5) has commas, so it is split on them and the columns come out wrong. Re-save it with a dot as the decimal mark, or with commas as the separator and the values in quotes.
If accents show as �, the file is not in UTF-8 (for example Windows-1252 or Windows-1250). PaperSheets cannot choose an encoding, so in the program that made the file save it again as UTF-8 and import it again.
Check the numbers: 00123 is shown as 123, a value with a decimal comma such as 3,50 stays text, and a number of more than 15 digits is rounded. Fix these in the source, or see the table below.
When the table is right, choose File, then Download .csv. The file is saved in UTF-8 with commas.

What PaperSheets does with each problem

Your file	What PaperSheets shows	What to do
Semicolons, dot decimals	Three clean columns	Nothing to fix
Semicolons and decimal commas	Wrong columns: `Ana;3` and `5;Cluj` in two cells	Use a dot as the decimal mark, or commas with quoted values
Tabs	One column, tabs inside the text	Save as comma-separated, or semicolon-separated
Commas inside quotes, line breaks inside quotes	Kept in one cell	Nothing to fix
UTF-8, with or without a byte-order mark	Accents `ș é ă ț` correct	Nothing to fix
Windows-1252 or Windows-1250	`�` in place of each accent	Save again as UTF-8
`00123` or `0722123456`	Shown as `123` and `722123456`	Type `="00123"` as a formula, which shows and saves `00123`
`3,50` or `1.234,56`	Stay text, left as written	Use a dot as the decimal mark, or retype the numbers
Dates such as `31/01/2024`	Stay text	Sort or compare them as text
More than 26 columns or 500 rows	Cut, with a message	Split the file before importing

Good to know

The cut is real: a test file with 30 columns and 600 rows opened with columns A to Z and rows 1 to 500, and the message The table was cut to 26 columns and 500 rows. appeared. Nothing is kept beyond that.

The downloaded .csv has the calculated values separated by commas, lines end with \r\n and the file starts with a byte-order mark. The same rule applies on saving: 00123 is saved as 123, 15% as 0.15, and a formula that gives an error saves #ERROR!. PaperSheets has no find-and-replace and no function to turn 3,50 into a number.

Supported formats

Open: .csv (comma, or semicolon when there is no comma) and .xlsx
Read as: UTF-8 only
Download: .csv in UTF-8 with a byte-order mark
Limit: 26 columns and 500 rows

Frequently asked questions

Why does my .csv open in one column?

Because the file has no comma and no semicolon, usually a tab-separated file. PaperSheets splits on commas, or on semicolons only when the file has no comma at all. A tab-separated file is not split, so every row lands in column A.

Can PaperSheets open a tab-separated file?

Not as columns. All the text of a row, tabs included, goes into column A. Save the file again with commas or semicolons as the separator.

Why does my semicolon file still split wrongly?

Because one comma anywhere in the file, such as a decimal comma, makes PaperSheets choose the comma. Remove the commas or re-save the file with a dot as the decimal mark.

Why do I see � instead of accents?

The file is not in UTF-8. PaperSheets always reads UTF-8 and has no encoding choice, so bytes from Windows-1252 or Windows-1250 become �. Save the file again as UTF-8, then import it.

Are accents fine in a UTF-8 file with a byte-order mark?

Yes. Both forms opened correctly in tests, and the downloaded .csv is UTF-8 with a byte-order mark.

How do I keep the leading zeros of a code?

A plain 00123 is read as the number 123. Use the formula ="00123": it shows and saves 00123. A value that starts with = in a .csv is read as a formula, so the file can hold it.