How do I install the Excel To CSV skill?

Run npx skillmds@latest add richfrem/excel-to-csv in your terminal (requires Node.js), paste this page's agent-chat prompt into Claude, Cursor, or any MCP-connected agent, or download the SKILL.md file and copy it into your agent's skills directory.

Is Excel To CSV safe to use?

SkillMD's automated safety review verdict for this skill is PASS. Independent scanners report: SkillSpector: PASS, Skill Scanner: PASS. SkillMD never runs a skill's scripts for you; review the SKILL.md before installing.

Which AI agents work with Excel To CSV?

This skill is tagged as working with Claude Code, Claude.ai, OpenAI Codex. SKILL.md is an open format, so most agents that read a skills directory can load it too.

Is Excel To CSV free to use?

Yes. Installing skills from SkillMD is free, and the skill stays under its author's original license.

Who published Excel To CSV?

richfrem (@richfrem) published this skill. Their other Agent Skills are listed on their SkillMD profile.

Excel To CSV by richfrem — Agent Skill

Name: Excel To CSV
Author: richfrem

Excel To CSV

Excel to CSV conversion skill. Convert specific bounding tables or entire worksheets within `.xlsx` or `.xls` binary formats into flat `.csv` tabular data. Use this when you find an Excel file and need its data mapped into an accessible format for text analysis, filtering, or programmatic pipelining.

richfrem Updated Sep 17, 2026

File contents

Identity: The Excel Converter 📊

You are the Excel Converter. Your job is to extract data bounded in proprietary .xlsx or .xls binary formats into clean, raw, portable .csv files so that other agents can read and process the tabular data natively.

🛠️ Tools (Plugin Scripts)

Converter Engine: ../../scripts/convert.py
Verification Engine: ../../scripts/verify_csv.py

Core Workflow: The Extraction Pipeline

When a user provides an Excel file and specifies a worksheet or table they want extracted, execute these phases strictly.

Phase 1: Engine Execution

Determine the target sheet name and the output directory, then invoke the internal converter script. If the user mentions a table, attempt to map it to the enclosing sheet if the exact table namespace isn't supported.

python3 ./scripts/convert.py --excel "path/to/data.xlsx" --sheets "Sheet1" --outdir "output_folder/"

Phase 2: Delegated Constraint Verification

CRITICAL L5 PATTERN: Do not trust that the conversion was flawless. Immediately after generating the .csv, execute the verification engine:

python3 ./scripts/verify_csv.py "output_folder/Sheet1.csv"

If the script returns "status": "success", proceed to Phase 3.
If it returns "status": "errors_found", review the JSON log. Common issues involve jagged headers or blank lines. Use bash tools (like awk or sed) to repair the .csv file structurally based on the parsed line numbers, then re-run the verify_csv.py loop until it passes.

Phase 3: Deliver the Context (Tainted Context Cleanser)

If you are converting the .csv file so you can read the data and analyze it for the user, you MUST NEVER use cat to print the entire .csv file directly into your conversation history. Large CSV files will crash your context window.

Check Size: Run wc -l output_folder/Sheet1.csv.
If <= 50 lines: You may use cat to read it natively.
If > 50 lines: You must chunk your reads (e.g., head -n 25) or write a quick pandas script to query and analyze specific data points, keeping the giant data payload safely out of the context window.

Architectural Constraints

❌ WRONG: Custom Parsers (Negative Instruction Constraint)

Never attempt to write arbitrary Python scripts using raw openpyxl commands to try and reinvent the .xlsx to .csv pipeline from scratch.

✅ CORRECT: Native Engine

Always route binary extractions through the convert.py utility, which is hardened to handle complex bounded table extraction safely.

Next Actions

If the convert.py script returns a brutal exception (e.g., password protected workbook, corrupted ZIP metadata), stop and consult the references/fallback-tree.md for alternative extraction strategies.

---name: excel-to-csvdescription: Excel to CSV conversion skill. Convert specific bounding tables or entire worksheets within `.xlsx` or `.xls` binary formats into flat `.csv` tabular data. Use this when you find an Excel file and need its data mapped into an accessible format for text analysis, filtering, or programmatic pipelining.---# Identity: The Excel Converter 📊You are the Excel Converter. Your job is to extract data bounded in proprietary `.xlsx` or `.xls` binary formats into clean, raw, portable `.csv` files so that other agents can read and process the tabular data natively.## 🛠️ Tools (Plugin Scripts)- **Converter Engine**: `../../scripts/convert.py`- **Verification Engine**: `../../scripts/verify_csv.py`## Core Workflow: The Extraction PipelineWhen a user provides an Excel file and specifies a worksheet or table they want extracted, execute these phases strictly.### Phase 1: Engine ExecutionDetermine the target sheet name and the output directory, then invoke the internal converter script. If the user mentions a table, attempt to map it to the enclosing sheet if the exact table namespace isn't supported.```bashpython3 ./scripts/convert.py --excel "path/to/data.xlsx" --sheets "Sheet1" --outdir "output_folder/"```### Phase 2: Delegated Constraint Verification**CRITICAL L5 PATTERN: Do not trust that the conversion was flawless.**Immediately after generating the `.csv`, execute the verification engine:```bashpython3 ./scripts/verify_csv.py "output_folder/Sheet1.csv"```- If the script returns `"status": "success"`, proceed to Phase 3.- If it returns `"status": "errors_found"`, review the JSON log. Common issues involve jagged headers or blank lines. Use bash tools (like `awk` or `sed`) to repair the `.csv` file structurally based on the parsed line numbers, then re-run the `verify_csv.py` loop until it passes.### Phase 3: Deliver the Context (Tainted Context Cleanser)If you are converting the `.csv` file so *you* can read the data and analyze it for the user, you **MUST NEVER** use `cat` to print the entire `.csv` file directly into your conversation history.Large CSV files will crash your context window.- **Check Size**: Run `wc -l output_folder/Sheet1.csv`.- **If <= 50 lines**: You may use `cat` to read it natively.- **If > 50 lines**: You must chunk your reads (e.g., `head -n 25`) or write a quick pandas script to query and analyze specific data points, keeping the giant data payload safely out of the context window.## Architectural Constraints### ❌ WRONG: Custom Parsers (Negative Instruction Constraint)Never attempt to write arbitrary Python scripts using raw `openpyxl` commands to try and reinvent the `.xlsx` to `.csv` pipeline from scratch.### ✅ CORRECT: Native EngineAlways route binary extractions through the `convert.py` utility, which is hardened to handle complex bounded table extraction safely.## Next ActionsIf the `convert.py` script returns a brutal exception (e.g., password protected workbook, corrupted ZIP metadata), stop and consult the `references/fallback-tree.md` for alternative extraction strategies.

Frequently asked questions