How to Open TXT File in Excel: Step-by-Step Guide

Need to open a TXT file in Excel? Whether you have a comma-separated file, tab-delimited data, or plain text you need to analyze, this guide will show you exactly how to open TXT files in Excel properly.

Quick Answer: How to Open TXT File in Excel

Fastest Method (3 steps):

1. Open Excel
2. Go to Data → Get Data → From Text/CSV
3. Select your TXT file and click Load

Even Faster: Use txt2excel.com - paste your text and get an Excel file in 30 seconds with AI-powered formatting.

Method 1: Excel Import Wizard (Best for Control)

This method gives you full control over how your data is imported.

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Open Excel and create a new workbook (or use an existing one)

Step 2: Go to the Data tab on the ribbon

Step 3: Click Get Data → From File → From Text/CSV

Step 4: Browse to your TXT file and select it

Step 5: Excel will show a preview window:

• Check if the delimiter is detected correctly
• If not, change the delimiter (Comma, Tab, Pipe, etc.)
• Choose the file origin if you have encoding issues

Step 6: Click Load to import the data

Understanding Delimiters

Excel needs to know what separates your data columns:

| Delimiter | Symbol | Example | |-----------|--------|---------| | Comma | , | John,Doe,25 | | Tab | | John Doe 25 | | Pipe | | | John\|Doe\|25 | | Semicolon | ; | John;Doe;25 |

Most TXT files use commas or tabs. Excel usually detects this automatically.

Method 2: Excel Legacy Import (Older Excel Versions)

If you're using Excel 2016 or earlier, or prefer the classic import wizard:

Step 1: Open Excel Step 2: Go to Data tab Step 3: Click From Text (in the Get External Data group) Step 4: Select your TXT file Step 5: The Text Import Wizard opens:

Step 1 of 3: Choose file type

• Delimited: Your data uses characters like commas or tabs
• Fixed width: Columns are aligned by spacing

Step 2 of 3: Select your delimiter

• Check the appropriate box (Tab, Semicolon, Comma, Space, Other)
• Preview updates in real-time

Step 3 of 3: Finish formatting

• Set column data format (General, Text, Date)
• Choose where to import (New worksheet or existing)

Step 6: Click Finish

Method 3: Copy-Paste Method (Quickest for Small Files)

For small text files (under 50 rows), the copy-paste method works well:

Steps:

1. Open your TXT file in Notepad or any text editor
2. Select all text (Ctrl+A)
3. Copy (Ctrl+C)
4. Open Excel
5. Paste (Ctrl+V)
6. If data is all in one column:
   • Select the column
   • Go to Data → Text to Columns
   • Follow the wizard to split data

Method 4: AI-Powered Online Converter (Smartest)

txt2excel.com uses AI to automatically detect your file structure.

Advantages:

• ✅ No delimiter selection needed - AI figures it out
• ✅ Handles messy data
• ✅ Works with any device
• ✅ No Excel installation needed
• ✅ Free to use

Steps:

1. Copy your TXT content
2. Paste into txt2excel.com
3. Click "Convert to Excel"
4. Download your XLSX file

Perfect for: Quick conversions, one-time users, people who don't want to deal with Excel settings.

How to Import TXT to Excel with Proper Formatting

Handling Dates

TXT files often have dates that Excel doesn't recognize:

| TXT Format | Excel Should Read As | |------------|---------------------| | 01/02/2025 | January 2, 2025 or February 1, 2025 | | 2025-01-02 | January 2, 2025 | | Jan 2, 2025 | January 2, 2025 |

Tips:

• Check your date format consistency before importing
• Use Text to Columns to fix dates after import
• Use the DATEVALUE() function for stubborn dates

Handling Numbers

If numbers appear as text (left-aligned, can't calculate):

Fix 1: Text to Columns

1. Select the column
2. Data → Text to Columns → Finish

Fix 2: Paste Special

1. Type 1 in an empty cell
2. Copy it
3. Select your number column
4. Paste Special → Multiply

Fix 3: VALUE() function

=VALUE(A1)

Handling Special Characters

If you see strange characters instead of text:

• The file encoding might be wrong
• Try saving the TXT file as UTF-8
• In Excel import, choose "UTF-8" as file origin

Common Problems and Solutions

Problem: All Data in One Column

Cause: Wrong delimiter selected

Solution:

1. Undo the import
2. Try importing again
3. Manually select the correct delimiter
4. Or use txt2excel.com (auto-detects)

Problem: Data Looks Messy

Cause: Inconsistent formatting in source file

Solution:

• Clean the TXT file first
• Remove extra spaces
• Ensure consistent delimiters
• Use AI converter for messy data

Problem: Chinese Characters Show as ???

Cause: Encoding issue

Solution:

1. Save TXT file as UTF-8
2. In Excel, choose "UTF-8" as file origin
3. Or use txt2excel.com (handles UTF-8)

Problem: Leading Zeros Disappear

Cause: Excel treats numbers as values

Solution:

1. Import the column as Text (not General)
2. Or format cells as Text before importing
3. Or use an apostrophe: '00123

How to Open Different TXT File Types

CSV Files (Comma-Separated)

Most common format. Excel opens these natively:

• Double-click the CSV file
• Or use Data → From Text/CSV
• Excel detects comma delimiter automatically

TSV Files (Tab-Separated)

Common in database exports:

• Use Data → From Text/CSV
• Excel detects tabs automatically
• Or change file extension to .txt first

Pipe-Delimited Files

Uses | as separator:

• Import manually
• Choose "Other" as delimiter
• Type | in the box

Fixed-Width Files

Each column has exact width:

• Choose "Fixed width" in import wizard
• Set column break lines manually
• Less common but still supported

Pro Tips for Better Imports

Tip 1: Always Include Headers

Make sure your TXT file has column names in the first row:

Name,Email,City
John,john@email.com,NY
Jane,jane@email.com,LA

Tip 2: Clean Data Before Import

• Remove extra blank lines
• Check for consistent delimiters
• Fix obvious formatting errors
• Standardize date formats

Tip 3: Use a Template for Recurring Imports

If you import similar files regularly:

1. Set up your import once
2. Save the query in Power Query
3. Refresh with new data anytime
4. Formatting stays consistent

Tip 4: Validate After Import

Always check:

• First row (headers)
• Last row (data完整性)
• Random middle rows
• Numeric columns (calculating)
• Date columns (formatting)

Bonus: Import Multiple TXT Files at Once

Need to import many TXT files? Use Excel Power Query:

Steps:

1. Data → Get Data → From File → From Folder
2. Select the folder with your TXT files
3. Power Query combines all files
4. Transform as needed
5. Load into Excel

Perfect for: Monthly reports, daily exports, batch processing

Frequently Asked Questions

How do I open a TXT file in Excel without changing the format?

Answer: Import the data as Text format. In the import wizard, select "Text" as the column data format instead of "General". This preserves leading zeros and prevents automatic formatting.

Why does my TXT file open as one column in Excel?

Answer: The delimiter wasn't detected correctly. Re-import the file and manually select the correct delimiter (comma, tab, etc.), or use txt2excel.com which auto-detects delimiters.

Can I open a TXT file directly in Excel?

Answer: Yes, you can double-click a TXT file to open it in Notepad, then copy-paste into Excel. For proper formatting, use Excel's import feature (Data → From Text/CSV) or txt2excel.com.

How do I import a TXT file into Excel with columns?

Answer: Use Data → From Text/CSV, choose your delimiter in the preview, and click Load. Excel will automatically separate your data into columns.

What's the difference between CSV and TXT files?

Answer: CSV is a type of TXT file with comma-separated values. CSV files open directly in Excel with columns. Generic TXT files may need you to specify the delimiter.

Quick Reference: Which Method Should I Use?

| Scenario | Best Method | |----------|-------------| | Quick one-time import | txt2excel.com (fastest) | | Need control over formatting | Excel Import Wizard | | Small file, in a hurry | Copy-Paste | | Recurring imports | Power Query (save & reuse) | | Don't have Excel | txt2excel.com (online) | | Multiple files at once | Power Query (From Folder) | | Messy, inconsistent data | txt2excel.com (AI handles it) |

Conclusion

Opening TXT files in Excel is straightforward once you know which method to use. For most users, txt2excel.com offers the fastest, smartest solution with AI-powered delimiter detection. For more control, use Excel's built-in import features. For recurring needs, set up a Power Query workflow.

Choose the method that fits your needs and start importing your TXT files into Excel like a pro!