Why does my CSV show garbled characters in Excel?

Windows Excel expects CP949 (EUC-KR) encoding by default. If the CSV is UTF-8, characters appear garbled. Adding a UTF-8 BOM or converting to CP949 fixes it.

BOM (Byte Order Mark) is a special byte sequence (EF BB BF) at the start of the file. It tells Excel to read the file as UTF-8, so characters display correctly.

What is the difference between CP949 and EUC-KR?

CP949 is an extended version of EUC-KR used on Windows. It supports more Korean characters. In practice, they are treated the same.

What if auto-detection fails?

You can select the source encoding manually. If the file looks garbled in Excel, it is most likely UTF-8. If it looks correct, it is probably CP949.

Are my files sent to a server?

No. Everything is processed in your browser. Your file never leaves your device.

Can I convert files created on Mac for Windows Excel?

Yes. Mac typically saves CSV as UTF-8. Converting to UTF-8 with BOM or CP949 makes it compatible with Windows Excel.

CSV Encoding Converter

CSV file shows garbled characters in Excel? Auto-detect the encoding and convert between UTF-8 and CP949 to fix it instantly.

Fix broken CSV encoding

Drop files here or choose files

CSV, TXT · Up to 1 files

When a CSV file from another system shows garbled characters in Excel, it is usually an encoding mismatch. Drop your file here to auto-detect the encoding and convert to UTF-8 or CP949 so Excel reads it correctly.

Key features

Auto-detect encoding (UTF-8, CP949/EUC-KR, etc.)
Convert between UTF-8 and CP949 in both directions
UTF-8 BOM option — improves Excel compatibility
Preview before converting to verify characters
Delimiter selection (comma, semicolon, tab)
Processed in your browser — nothing sent to a server

How to use

Drop or select your CSV file.
Check the auto-detected encoding and preview.
Choose the target encoding (UTF-8 or CP949).
Optionally add a UTF-8 BOM for Excel compatibility.
Click "Convert" and download the converted CSV.

When to use

When a CSV from another system shows garbled Korean in Excel
When converting a UTF-8 CSV so Excel opens it correctly
When sharing a Mac-created CSV with a Windows Excel user
When fixing encoding issues during a data migration

Frequently asked questions

Browse all tools

PDF, images, text, CSV — get small tasks done fast.