Why é turns into é in a CSV file, and how to fix it
Updated
If “José” shows up as “José”, or symbols turn into �, the file isn't broken. It was saved in one text encoding (usually UTF-8) and opened as another (often Windows-1252). Reading it with the right encoding brings the original text back.
Recognise the pattern
“é”, “ü” or “’” instead of é, ü or ’ almost always means a UTF-8 file read as Windows-1252. A “�” usually means the opposite: a Windows-1252 file read as UTF-8. Don't save the garbled version; re-open the original with the right setting.
In Excel
- Don't double-click the CSV. Instead use Data → From Text/CSV and choose the file.
- Set File Origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8), check the preview, and load it.
- When saving, choose “CSV UTF-8 (Comma delimited)” so the next person doesn't hit the same problem.
In Google Sheets
Google Sheets reads UTF-8 files correctly in most cases. If a file was saved as Windows-1252, re-save it as UTF-8 in a text editor first, or use a tool that lets you choose the encoding.
The private way: in BenchCove
Free, no sign-up. Uses the File & Data Workbench. Nothing is uploaded.
- Import the file in the File & Data Workbench. BenchCove detects the encoding (UTF-8, UTF-16 or Windows-1252) and tells you which one it used.
- If the text still looks wrong, choose a different text encoding in the import settings and the file is read again.
- Export the result as UTF-8 and tick “Optimise for Excel”, which adds a UTF-8 marker so Excel shows accented and non-English characters correctly.
Questions
Can I fix the garbled text after saving it?
Sometimes, but it's much safer to go back to the original file and open it with the right encoding. Saving the garbled version can make the damage permanent.
What is the UTF-8 marker (BOM)?
A few invisible bytes at the start of a file that tell programs such as Excel the file is UTF-8. Most other tools ignore it.