How to open a .csv file in Excel Opening a .csv file is as easy as opening a .txt file, and usually, you won’t have to clean up the data before doing so because the save task inserts the delimiter.

If you've encountered a CSV file and you're unsure what they're for, the good news is they're pretty straightforward and easy-to-use with apps you already know.

CSV, or Comma Separated Values, are files used for all kinds of things, from managing large datasets to exporting data to move it between web services.