You can save an Excel file in another file format by clicking the File > Save As. The file formats that are available in the Save As dialog box vary, depending on what type of sheet is active (a worksheet, chart sheet, or other type of sheet).
Note: Whenever you save a file in another file format, some of its formatting, data, and features might not be transferred.
To open a file that was created in another file format, either in an earlier version of Excel or in another program, click File > Open. If you open an Excel 97-2003 workbook, it automatically opens in Compatibility Mode. To take advantage of the new features of Excel 2010, you can save the workbook to an Excel 2010 file format. However, you also have the option to continue to work in Compatibility Mode, which retains the original file format for backward compatibility.
Excel file formats
Format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Excel Workbook | .xlsx | The default XML-based file format for Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. Cannot store Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications (VBA) macro code or Microsoft Office Excel 4.0 macro sheets (.xlm). |
| Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook (code) | .xlsm | The XML-based and macro-enabled file format for Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, and Excel 2007. Stores VBA macro code or Excel 4.0 macro sheets (.xlm). |
| Excel Binary Workbook | .xlsb | The binary file format (BIFF12) for Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. |
| Template | .xltx | The default file format for an Excel template for Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. Cannot store VBA macro code or Excel 4.0 macro sheets (.xlm). |
| Template (code) | .xltm | The macro-enabled file format for an Excel template Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. Stores VBA macro code or Excel 4.0 macro sheets (.xlm). |
| Excel 97- Excel 2003 Workbook | .xls | The Excel 97 - Excel 2003 Binary file format (BIFF8). |
| Excel 97- Excel 2003 Template | .xlt | The Excel 97 - Excel 2003 Binary file format (BIFF8) for an Excel template. |
| Microsoft Excel 5.0/95 Workbook | .xls | The Excel 5.0/95 Binary file format (BIFF5). |
| XML Spreadsheet 2003 | .xml | XML Spreadsheet 2003 file format (XMLSS). |
| XML Data | .xml | XML Data format. |
| Excel Add-In | .xlam | The XML-based and macro-enabled Add-In format for Excel 2010 and Excel 2007. An Add-In is a supplemental program that is designed to run additional code. Supports the use of VBA projects and Excel 4.0 macro sheets (.xlm). |
| Excel 97-2003 Add-In | .xla | The Excel 97-2003 Add-In, a supplemental program that is designed to run additional code. Supports the use of VBA projects. |
| Excel 4.0 Workbook | .xlw | An Excel 4.0 file format that saves only worksheets, chart sheets, and macro sheets. You can open a workbook in this file format in Excel 2010, but you cannot save an Excel file to this file format. |
| Works 6.0-9.0 spreadsheet | .xlr | Spreadsheet saved in Microsoft Works 6.0-9.0. Note: This format is supported in Excel Starter only. |
Text file formats
Format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| Formatted Text (Space-delimited) | .prn | Lotus space-delimited format. Saves only the active sheet. |
| Text (Tab-delimited) | .txt | Saves a workbook as a tab-delimited text file for use on another Microsoft Windows operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| Text (Macintosh) | .txt | Saves a workbook as a tab-delimited text file for use on the Macintosh operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| Text (MS-DOS) | .txt | Saves a workbook as a tab-delimited text file for use on the MS-DOS operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| Unicode Text | .txt | Saves a workbook as Unicode text, a character encoding standard that was developed by the Unicode Consortium. |
| CSV (comma delimited) | .csv | Saves a workbook as a comma-delimited text file for use on another Windows operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| CSV (Macintosh) | .csv | Saves a workbook as a comma-delimited text file for use on the Macintosh operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| CSV (MS-DOS) | .csv | Saves a workbook as a comma-delimited text file for use on the MS-DOS operating system, and ensures that tab characters, line breaks, and other characters are interpreted correctly. Saves only the active sheet. |
| DIF | .dif | Data Interchange Format. Saves only the active sheet. |
| SYLK | .slk | Symbolic Link Format. Saves only the active sheet. |
Note: If you save a workbook in any text format, all formatting is lost.
Other file formats
Format | Extension | Description |
|---|---|---|
| DBF 3, DBF 4 | .dbf | dBase III and IV. You can open these files formats in Excel, but you cannot save an Excel file to dBase format. |
| OpenDocument Spreadsheet | .ods | OpenDocument Spreadsheet. You can save Excel 2010 files so they can be opened in spreadsheet applications that use the OpenDocument Spreadsheet format, such as Google Docs and OpenOffice.org Calc. You can also open spreadsheets in the .ods format in Excel 2010. Formatting might be lost when saving and opening .ods files. |
| | | Portable Document Format (PDF). This file format preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. When the PDF format file is viewed online or printed, it retains the format that you intended. Data in the file cannot be easily changed. The PDF format is also useful for documents that will be reproduced by using commercial printing methods. Note: This format is not supported in Excel 2007. |
| XPS Document | .xps | XML Paper Specification (XPS). This file format preserves document formatting and enables file sharing. When the XPS file is viewed online or printed, it retains exactly the format that you intended, and the data in the file cannot be easily changed. Note: This format is not supported in Excel 2007. |
File formats that use the Clipboard
You can paste data from the Microsoft Office Clipboard into Excel by using the Paste or Paste Special command (Home tab, Clipboard group, Paste button) if the Office Clipboard data is in one of the following formats.
Format | Extension | Clipboard type identifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Picture | .wmf or .emf | Pictures in Windows Metafile Format (WMF) or Windows Enhanced Metafile Format (EMF). Note If you copy a Windows metafile picture from another program, Excel pastes the picture as an enhanced metafile. |
| Bitmap | .bmp | Pictures stored in Bitmap format (BMP). |
| Microsoft Excel file formats | .xls | Binary file formats for Excel versions 5.0/95 (BIFF5), Excel 97-2003 (BIFF8), and Excel 2010 (BIFF12). |
| SYLK | .slk | Symbolic Link Format. |
| DIF | .dif | Data Interchange Format. |
| Text (tab-delimited) | .txt | Tab-separated text format. |
| CSV (Comma-delimited) | .csv | Comma-separated values format. |
| Formatted text (Space-delimited) | .rtf | Rich Text Format (RTF). Only from Excel. |
| Embedded object | .gif, .jpg, .doc, .xls, or .bmp | Microsoft Excel objects, objects from properly registered programs that support OLE 2.0 (OwnerLink), and Picture or another presentation format. |
| Linked object | .gif, .jpg, .doc, .xls, or .bmp | OwnerLink, ObjectLink, Link, Picture, or other format. |
| Office drawing object | .emf | Office drawing object format or Picture (Windows enhanced metafile format, EMF). |
| Text | .txt | Display Text, OEM Text. |
| Single File Web Page | .mht, .mhtml | Single File Web Page (MHT or MHTML). This file format integrates inline graphics, applets, linked documents, and other supporting items referenced in the document. Note: This format is not supported in Excel 2007. |
| Web Page | .htm, .html | Hypertext Markup Language (HTML). Note: When you copy text from another program, Excel pastes the text in HTML format, regardless of the format of the original text. |
File formats that are not supported in Excel
The following file formats are no longer supported in Excel 2016, Excel 2013, Excel 2010, Excel Starter, and Excel 2007. You cannot open or save files in these file formats.
Format | Extension | Clipboard type identifiers |
|---|---|---|
| Excel Chart | .xlc | Excel 2.0, 3.0, and 2.x file formats |
| WK1, FMT, WK2, WK3, FM3, WK4 | .wk1, .wk2, .wk3, .wk4, .wks | Lotus 1-2-3 file formats (all versions) |
| Microsoft Works | .wks | Microsoft Works file format (all versions) |
| DBF 2 | .dbf | DBASE II file format |
| WQ1 | .wq1 | Quattro Pro for MS-DOS file format |
| WB1, WB3 | .wb1, .wb3 | Quattro Pro 5.0 and 7.0 for Windows. |
File formats that are not supported in Excel Starter
Additionally, the following file formats are no longer supported in Excel Starter. You cannot open or save files in these file formats.
Format | Extension |
|---|---|
| Excel 97-2003 Add-In | .xla |
| Excel Add-In | .xlam |
| Data source name | .dsn |
| Access MDE database | .mde |
| Office Data Connection | .odc |
| Data Link File | .udl |
Opening or viewing unsupported file formats
If a file format that you want to use is not supported in Excel, you can try the following:
-
Search the Internet for a company that makes file format converters for file formats that are not supported in Excel.
-
Save to a file format that another program supports and then export from that program into a file format that Excel supports.
Need more help?
You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community, get support in the Answers community, or suggest a new feature or improvement on Excel User Voice.
Related Topics
Excel formatting and features that are not transferred to other file formats
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