> ## Documentation Index
> Fetch the complete documentation index at: https://docs.pdf.co/llms.txt
> Use this file to discover all available pages before exploring further.
# Excel to CSV
> Converts a `xls`/`xlsx` file to `csv`.
## `POST /v1/xls/convert/to/csv`
During conversion you should not expect any Word macros to operate as we do not support Office macros.
## Attributes
Attributes are case-sensitive and should be inside JSON for POST request. for example: `{ "url": "https://example.com/file1.pdf" }`
| Attribute | Type | Required | Default | Description |
| ----------------------------- | ------- | -------- | ------- | --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `url` | string | *Yes* | - | URL to the source file [`url` attribute](/api-reference/url-input-and-request-limits#supported-file-sources) |
| `callback` | string | *No* | - | The callback URL (or Webhook) used to receive the POST data. see [Webhooks & Callbacks](/api-reference/webhooks). This is only applicable when `async` is set to `true`. |
| `httpusername` | string | *No* | - | HTTP auth user name if required to access source URL. |
| `httppassword` | string | *No* | - | HTTP auth password if required to access source URL. |
| `inline` | boolean | *No* | `false` | Set to true to return results inside the response. Otherwise, the endpoint will return a URL to the output file generated. |
| `async` | boolean | *No* | `false` | Set `async` to `true` for long processes to run in the background, API will then return a `jobId` which you can use with the [Background Job Check endpoint](/api-reference/job-check). Also see [Webhooks & Callbacks](/api-reference/webhooks) |
| `name` | string | *No* | - | File name for the generated output, the input must be in string format. |
| `expiration` | integer | *No* | `60` | Set the expiration time for the output link in minutes. After this specified duration, any generated output file(s) will be automatically deleted from [PDF.co Temporary Files Storage](/api-reference/file-upload/overview). The maximum duration for link expiration varies based on your current subscription plan. To store permanent input files (e.g. re-usable images, pdf templates, documents) consider using [PDF.co Built-In Files Storage](https://app.pdf.co/tools/files). |
| `worksheetIndex` | string | *No* | - | Set the index of the worksheet to be used. The first worksheet has index 1. |
| `profiles` | object | *No* | - | See [Profiles](/api-reference/profiles) for more information. |
| `DataEncryptionAlgorithm` | string | *No* | - | Controls the encryption algorithm used for data encryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. The available algorithms are: `AES128`, `AES192`, `AES256`. |
| `DataEncryptionKey` | string | *No* | - | Controls the encryption key used for data encryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. |
| `DataEncryptionIV` | string | *No* | - | Controls the encryption IV used for data encryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. |
| `DataDecryptionAlgorithm` | string | *No* | - | Controls the decryption algorithm used for data decryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. The available algorithms are: `AES128`, `AES192`, `AES256`. |
| `DataDecryptionKey` | string | *No* | - | Controls the decryption key used for data decryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. |
| `DataDecryptionIV` | string | *No* | - | Controls the decryption IV used for data decryption. See [User-Controlled Encryption](/knowledgebase/user-controlled-encryption) for more information. |
## Query parameters
*No query parameters accepted.*
## Responses
| Parameter | Type | Description |
| --------------------- | ------- | ---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- |
| `url` | string | Direct URL to the final PDF file stored in S3. |
| `outputLinkValidTill` | string | Timestamp indicating when the output link will expire |
| `error` | boolean | Indicates whether an error occurred (`false` means success) |
| `status` | string | Status code of the request (200, 404, 500, etc.). For more information, see [Response Codes](/api-reference/response-codes). |
| `name` | string | Name of the output file |
| `credits` | integer | Number of credits consumed by the request |
| `remainingCredits` | integer | Number of credits remaining in the account |
| `duration` | integer | Time taken for the operation in milliseconds |
## `Example` Payload
To see the request size limits, please refer to the [Request Size Limits](/api-reference/url-input-and-request-limits#pdf-co-request-size).
```json theme={null}
{
"url": "https://pdfco-test-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/other/Input.xls",
"async": false,
"name": "Output"
}
```
**Inconsistent URL Encoding in cURL Output:** When using cURL to make API requests, the output JSON may show URL characters encoded as Unicode escape sequences. For example, the ampersand character (`&`) may appear as `\u0026` in the cURL output. This is normal JSON encoding behavior and does not affect the validity of the URL. The URL will function correctly when used, as JSON parsers automatically decode these escape sequences. If you're parsing the response programmatically, your JSON parser will handle this conversion automatically.
## Code Samples
```bash theme={null}
curl --location --request POST 'https://api.pdf.co/v1/xls/convert/to/csv' \
--header 'x-api-key: *******************' \
--header 'Content-Type: application/json' \
--data-raw '{
"url": "https://pdfco-test-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/other/Input.xls",
"async": false
}'
```
```python theme={null}
import requests
import json
# Your API endpoint URL.
url = "https://api.pdf.co/v1/xls/convert/to/csv"
# Your API Key.
api_key = "Your API Key"
# The URL of the Excel file you want to convert.
input_file_url = "https://pdfco-test-files.s3.us-west-2.amazonaws.com/other/Input.xls"
headers = {
"x-api-key": api_key,
"Content-Type": "application/json"
}
data = {
"url": input_file_url,
"async": False
}
response = requests.post(url, headers=headers, json=data)
if response.status_code == 200:
# The request was successful.
# Parse the json response.
data = response.json()
# Extract the CSV file URL from the response.
csv_url = data.get('url', '')
print("CSV file is available at: ", csv_url)
else:
# There was an error with the request.
print("Error: ", response.status_code)
```