CSV, Excel or JSON: which format for your reviews?
Every ExportReviews exporter writes all three. The right one depends on what you do next with the data, not on the platform you exported from.
| Format | Best for | Opens in | What it keeps |
|---|---|---|---|
| CSV | Universal analysis, importing into other tools | Excel, Google Sheets, Numbers, any database import | One review per row, flat columns |
| Excel (XLSX) | Working directly in a spreadsheet | Excel, Google Sheets, LibreOffice Calc | Frozen header row plus a sheet describing the export |
| JSON | Feeding reviews into a script or an API | Any programming language, data pipelines | Nested structures (like photo lists) intact |
CSV: the universal spreadsheet format
CSV (comma-separated values) is the most portable way to move review data around. Every spreadsheet tool and nearly every database or analytics product can read it, which makes it the safe default when you are not sure where the data will end up. In an ExportReviews CSV, each review is one row and each field (rating, review text, date, and so on) is its own column, so you can sort and filter the moment you open the file.
The one detail that trips people up with CSV is character encoding. When a file has no byte-order mark, Excel can guess the wrong encoding and turn accented letters or emoji in a review into garbled characters. ExportReviews writes CSV with a UTF-8 byte-order mark specifically so that review text in any language opens correctly, without a manual import wizard.
Excel (XLSX): ready to work in, out of the box
The Excel format holds the same review fields as CSV, but it opens as a real workbook rather than raw text. The header row is frozen so it stays visible as you scroll, and the export includes a short second sheet describing what you exported (the platform, the page, and the filters you applied), which is useful when you come back to a file weeks later. Pick XLSX when you plan to live in the spreadsheet: pivot tables, charting ratings over time, or sharing a tidy file with a colleague.
JSON: for scripts, not spreadsheets
JSON is the format to choose when a program, not a person, is the next reader. If you are piping reviews into a script, a database, or your own analysis code, JSON preserves structure that a flat CSV has to flatten away, such as a single review that carries a list of photo references. If you only plan to open the file in a spreadsheet, JSON is the wrong tool; reach for CSV or Excel instead.
How to decide in one line
Analysing reviews in a spreadsheet and sharing the file around? Use Excel. Importing into another tool, or unsure where it lands? Use CSV. Feeding a program rather than a person? Use JSON.
Formats, answered.
Should I export reviews as CSV or Excel?
Use CSV when you want a universal file that opens anywhere and imports cleanly into other tools. Use Excel (XLSX) when you want to work directly in a spreadsheet with frozen headers and a separate sheet describing the export. Both hold the same review fields.
Why do my accents or emoji break when I open a CSV in Excel?
That happens when a CSV has no byte-order mark and Excel guesses the wrong encoding. ExportReviews writes CSV with a UTF-8 BOM, so accented characters and emoji in review text open correctly in Excel, Google Sheets and Numbers.
When is JSON the right format for reviews?
Choose JSON when the reviews feed a script, an API or another program rather than a human reading a spreadsheet. JSON keeps nested structures (like a list of photo URLs on one review) intact, which flat CSV cannot.
Can I open the same export in Google Sheets?
Yes. CSV and XLSX both import into Google Sheets, Excel, LibreOffice and Numbers. The format you pick is about how you work, not which spreadsheet you own.