Why does Oncrawl use CSV files?
Because of the size of many websites, Oncrawl offers data in CSV format or a JSON format.
Unlike most spreadsheet formats, this means that the file you download is lightweight and useable, no matter how many lines and columns of data it includes.
CSV files are text files that use pre-specified characters to separate rows (new lines) and columns (commas or semicolons).
This makes them compatible with spreadsheet software, as well as with any other application you might want to use to handle them.
Our CSV files are formatted with semi-colons, commas, or tabs separating each column. This depends on what you requested when exporting the file.
Here are two ways to open a CSV file in your favorite spreadsheet editors.
Export your data
Export your data from Oncrawl:
From the Data Explorer, click "Export data" at the top right of the screen.
Choose the format you want:
Depending on where in the world your Microsoft Office is registered, Excel will often prefer a CSV with a , (comma) delimiter.
Excel
Method 1: Open the file with Excel
When to use this method:
Your file does NOT contain any special characters (non-Latin alphabets, accents...)
How to do it:
Right-click on your CSV file and choose "Open with...". Then, select Excel.
Look at one line of data. Make sure that the character that separates the data in each column is a semicolon (;). This is standard for Oncrawl exports. Remember this for later.
Under the "Data" menu, select "Text to columns".
On the first screen, choose "Delimited" and click "Next".
Change the delimiter to match the one you selected when downloading your file. For example, if you chose a semicolon, you will need to un-tick "tab" and tick "semicolon" instead. Click "Next".
Optional: Click on each column to set the type of data that you can find in the column.
Click "Finish".
Method 2: Import the file as data into Excel
When to use this method:
Your file contains special characters (non-Latin alphabets, accents...)
How to do it:
Open Excel.
Switch to the Data ribbon at the top of the application.
Choose the type of data to add:
PC: Click "Get and Transform Data" and select "From Text".
Mac: Click "From Text" (second button from left).Choose your CSV file.
On the first screen, choose "Delimited".
Change the "File origin" to "Unicode (UTF-8)" and click "Next".
Change the delimiter to the one you requested when downloading your file. For example, if you chose a semicolon, untick the "Tab" checkbox and tick the "Semicolon" one instead. Then click "Next".
Optional: Click on each column to set the type of data that you can find in the column.
Click "Finish".
Google Sheets
You'll need to have a Google Sheets spreadsheet already open.
Go to the "File" menu and choose "Import".
Select your Oncrawl export.
Pick the "Separator type" that matches the one you requested when downloading your file: either select Tab, select Comma, or choose "Custom" and type ";" in the box.
Click the green "Import data" button.
