---
title: How to make the most out of CSV exports
description: "Get the most out of CSV exports in TWAICE: what you can export, how to configure it and tips for further analysis."
---

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# How to make the most out of CSV exports

## Understand the CSV format TWAICE uses for exports and what this standard means when you open the files in other tools.

**On this page**

- [CSV Format Specification](https://support.twaice.com/knowledge/how-to-make-the-most-out-of-csv-exports#h_d73a62b7d3)
- [Consequences of This Standard](https://support.twaice.com/knowledge/how-to-make-the-most-out-of-csv-exports#h_a5eef153a4)

CSV exports are an essential part of many TWAICE solutions. To ensure consistency and usability across different systems and locales, we've established a standardized format for all CSV files exported from our platform.

This guide outlines the CSV export specifications and explains how you can reliably parse and utilize this data.

[![](https://support.twaice.com/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/a2baa706-39e7-4c6a-b5cc-0d90b56d2904.png)](https://downloads.intercomcdn.eu/i/o/thagvi83/51285543/6cd1dc27f40bc00d30edf3fa28da/a2baa706-39e7-4c6a-b5cc-0d90b56d2904?expires=1792501200&signature=e9914d28edb1297f8ad86c2a2629319d470c99c0094778eede5a06eaabeabd94&req=1dRtzV3%2FqDRk2hL085ZhoXAeFlAMaYuOheuYa%2FR%2B9uX0c9Hfu60Lw6I7uqaO%0ApPmhWXwqNDd59vPr%0A)

### CSV Format Specification

To make CSV files consistently machine-readable and compatible with parsing scripts, all exports from TWAICE follow these rules:

**Column Structure**

- **Delimiter**: Columns are separated by a **comma (,)**.

- **Decimal Separator**: Decimal values use a **dot (.)**.

- **Thousand Separator**: **None** – large numbers do not include thousand separators (e.g., 10000, not 10,000).

**Column Naming Conventions**

- **Units**: If a column includes a unit, it is added as a suffix to the column name (e.g., temperature\_degc)

- **Hierarchical Data**: For hierarchical structures, column names reflect the **customer’s custom level naming**.

- **Component Identification**: For columns that identify components, the **component names** are used.

**Date and Time Format**

- **Date Format**: YYYY-MM-DD (e.g., 2020-01-30)

- **Datetime Format**: YYYY-MM-DDTHH:MM:SSZ (e.g., 2020-01-01T00:00:00Z)

- All dates and datetimes are expressed in **UTC**, clearly indicated with a Z or +00:00.

**Additional Notes**

- **Empty Files**: Even if the CSV file contains no data rows, the appropriate **header row is still included**.

- **String Escaping**: Strings containing double quotes (") are escaped using **RFC-4180** standards. For example: “foo” becomes “””foo””” in the CSV.

[![](https://support.twaice.com/hubfs/Knowledge%20Base%20Import/237f8401-8988-4948-9f46-7b8aed1b0b9f.png)](https://downloads.intercomcdn.eu/i/o/thagvi83/51285544/7c992cf5f33da464a9d692dd0cde/237f8401-8988-4948-9f46-7b8aed1b0b9f?expires=1792501200&signature=88ae7cc410e195670399f668214a7816cb620e5d1a7cf2e41c8faae9df5fb8d1&req=1dRtzV3%2FqDNk2hL085ZhoYhr5pH%2BrNS%2BNy5k%2FsX4gC6o7JpFqpOyjr2dpUtU%0AQDFOeYOny7gogODU%0A)

### Consequences of This Standard

**✅ Benefits**

- **Consistent parsing**: Customers can reuse parsing logic across CSV exports.

- **Unified experience**: A consistent look and feel throughout all CSV files enhances usability.

**⚠️ Limitations**

- **Locale-specific behavior**: Some versions of Microsoft Excel (especially under European locales) may not correctly interpret , as the separator and . as the decimal symbol by default.

**❓ Why Not Use European Formatting?**

Alternatives like using ; as the separator and , as the decimal symbol are common in European Excel settings. However:

- This format creates parsing issues for users with US settings.

- There's no universal standard for these regional formats.

- Adjusting formats dynamically based on user location is error-prone and complicates automated parsing.

**📥 Tips for Opening in Excel**

If you're using Excel with a European locale:

1. Open Excel.
2. Go to **Data → Get External Data → From Text**.
3. Choose your CSV file.
4. In the import wizard, select:

- **Delimited**

- **Comma** as the delimiter

- Adjust decimal/thousand separators in **Advanced settings** if necessary

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