What happens when you convert TXT to XLS
- Each line of the text becomes a row. If the text has tabs, as text copied out of a spreadsheet or saved as tab-separated values does, they split each line into cells; otherwise each whole line goes into column A. Plain numbers are stored as numbers, so they can be summed and sorted.
- To split lines at commas or another character instead, select column A in the XLS and use Data, Text to Columns in Excel, or Data, Split to columns in Google Sheets.
- XLS allows at most 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet. Larger sheets do not fit the format; use XLSX for them.
- The file is read by SheetJS running in your browser; nothing is uploaded.
How to convert TXT to XLS online
- Press "Choose TXT files" and select one or more files, or drag them onto the box. You can add files of any size your device can hold in memory.
- There are no settings to choose: the converter keeps everything the target format can hold.
- Press "Convert to XLS". The spreadsheet library, about 900 KB, loads the first time and then workbooks convert in a moment.
- Save each XLS with its download button. Close the tab and every trace of the files is gone from memory.
Why convert TXT to XLS?
TXT files usually come from notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere. People convert them to XLS because some older accounting systems, government portals and legacy software still only accept the older XLS format from Excel 97 to 2003.
In short, TXT is good at what it was made for, and XLS is the more practical choice when the file has to open, upload or print somewhere else. TXT opens in every browser, text editor and phone, while XLS opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc.
How to convert TXT to XLS on Windows, Mac, iPhone and Android
On Windows
Open this page in Chrome, Edge or Firefox, drag your TXT files in from File Explorer, and press Convert. Each XLS is saved to your Downloads folder.
On a Mac
Safari, Chrome and Firefox all work. Drag the TXT files from Finder onto the drop zone and the XLS files land in Downloads.
On iPhone and iPad
Open the page in Safari and tap Choose TXT files. You can pick from Photos or from the Files app. The converted XLS appears in Files, in the Downloads folder.
On Android
Open the page in Chrome, tap Choose TXT files and pick them from Files or your gallery. The XLS is saved to the Download folder, where any file manager can find it.
Best settings for TXT to XLS
There are no settings: every line becomes a row, split into cells at tabs when the text has them. Save the text as UTF-8 if you can; accented letters and other alphabets are then kept exactly.
If the columns should be split at commas or semicolons instead, convert anyway and use Text to Columns on column A in your spreadsheet program, which lets you pick the separator.
TXT vs XLS: the differences
| TXT | XLS | |
|---|---|---|
| Full name | Plain text | Excel 97 to 2003 workbook |
| Type | document | spreadsheet |
| Created by | no single author | Microsoft |
| First released | 1963 | 1997 |
| Compression | Lossless | Lossless |
| What it holds | characters only, with no formatting | several sheets with values, formulas and formatting in a binary file |
| In a browser | opens in every browser, text editor and phone | opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc |
| Common uses | notes, logs, extracted text and anything that must open everywhere | older Excel files and systems that still export the legacy format |
| MIME type | text/plain | application/vnd.ms-excel |
About TXT and XLS files
What is a TXT file?
A TXT file holds nothing but characters: no fonts, images or layout. Modern text files are usually UTF-8, which covers every language.
What is an XLS file?
XLS is the binary Excel format used before 2007. It is limited to 65,536 rows and 256 columns per sheet, far fewer than XLSX allows.
TXT to XLS not working? Common problems
- Everything is in column A. The text has no tabs between its values; use Text to Columns in your spreadsheet program to split them at commas or spaces.
- Accented letters look wrong. Save the text as UTF-8 in your editor and convert it again.
- Numbers with a comma as the decimal sign stay text. Replace the commas with points first, or change them in the spreadsheet with Find and Replace.
Convert TXT to XLS from the command line
LibreOffice Calc reads tab-separated text and saves it as a spreadsheet from the command line:
soffice --headless --infilter="Text - txt - csv (StarCalc):9,34,76" --convert-to xls input.txtThe converter on this page does the same job in your browser, without installing anything.
TXT to XLS converter FAQ
Will I lose quality converting TXT to XLS?
No. Every line and value is kept exactly; only the layout into rows and cells is new.
Why is the XLS a different size from the TXT?
Larger than the text for a short file, because an XLS workbook carries a few kilobytes of structure; for long files it is often smaller, because XLSX compresses its contents.
Are my TXT files uploaded anywhere?
No. The conversion runs inside this browser tab using the open-source SheetJS library, so your files stay on your device. You can disconnect from the internet after the page and converter engine have loaded and it still works.
Can I convert several TXT files to XLS at once?
Yes. Select or drop as many files as you like; they are converted one after another and each gets its own download button.
How do I open an XLS file?
XLS opens in Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers and LibreOffice Calc. XLS is common for older Excel files and systems that still export the legacy format.
Is this TXT to XLS converter free?
Yes. There is no sign-up, no watermark and no limit on how many files you convert. The site is paid for by advertising, and because conversions run on your device there is no server cost per file.
Can I convert TXT to XLS on my phone?
Yes. The converter works in Safari on iPhone and iPad and in Chrome on Android. Converted files are saved to the Downloads folder.