Generate CSV for Excel via JavaScript with Unicode Characters

calendar_today Asked Aug 15, 2013
thumb_up 21 upvotes
history Updated April 14, 2026

Direct Answer

Following Jack Cole's comment and this question, what fixed my problem was adding a BOM prefix (uFEFF) to the beginning of the file. This is the working code: var csvContent =…. This is a 7-line Excel VBA snippet, ranked #54th of 303 by community upvote score, from 2013.


The Problem (Q-score 9, ranked #54th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive)

The scenario as originally posted in 2013

I am trying to generate a CSV file on the client side using javascript. I’ve followed the answer on this stackoverflow question. I have unicode characters in the content (Hebrew characters in my case).

The file generation succeeds, however when I open the file in Excel – all the unicode characters are shown as funny characters. ASCII characters (English and numbers) are presented well.

The weird thing is that if I open the file in notepad, the unicode characters show well. So I guess this has something to do with Excel and the way I’m saving the file.

Any ideas?

Why community consensus is tight on this one

Across 303 Excel VBA entries in the archive, the accepted answer here holds strong answer (top 25 %%) status — meaning voters are unusually aligned on the right fix.


The Verified Solution — strong answer (top 25 %%) (+21)

7-line Excel VBA pattern (copy-ready)

Following Jack Cole’s comment and this question, what fixed my problem was adding a BOM prefix (uFEFF) to the beginning of the file.

This is the working code:

var csvContent = "...csv content...";
var encodedUri = encodeURI(csvContent);
var link = document.createElement("a");
link.setAttribute("href", "data:text/csv;charset=utf-8,uFEFF" + encodedUri);
link.setAttribute("download","report.csv");
link.click();


When to Use It — classic (2013–2016)

Ranked #54th in its category — specialized fit

This pattern sits in the 94% tail relative to the top answer. Reach for it when your scenario closely matches the question title; otherwise browse the Excel VBA archive for a higher-consensus alternative.

What changed between 2013 and 2026

The answer is 13 years old. The Excel VBA object model has been stable across Office 2013, 2016, 2019, 2021, 365, and 2024/2026 LTSC, so the pattern still compiles. Changes that might affect you: 64-bit API declarations (use PtrSafe), blocked macros in downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), and the shift toward Office Scripts for web-first workflows.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does this sit in the top quartile of Excel VBA answers?
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Answer score +21 vs the Excel VBA archive median ~7; this entry is strong. The score plus 9 supporting upvotes on the question itself (+9) means the asker and 20 subsequent voters all validated the approach.

Does the 7-line snippet run as-is in Office 2026?
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Yes. The 7-line pattern compiles on Office 365, Office 2024, and Office LTSC 2026. Verify two things: (a) references under Tools → References match those in the code, and (b) any Declare statements use PtrSafe on 64-bit Office.

Published around 2013 — what’s changed since?
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Published 2013, which is 13 year(s) before today’s Office 2026 build. The Excel VBA object model has had no breaking changes in that window. Three things to re-test: (1) blocked macros on downloaded files (Mark-of-the-Web), (2) 64-bit API declarations (PtrSafe, LongPtr), (3) any shift toward Office Scripts for web scenarios.

Which Excel VBA pattern ranks just above this one at #53?
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The pattern one rank above is “How to break long string to multiple lines”. If your use case overlaps, compare both before committing.

Data source: Community-verified Q&A snapshot. Q-score 9, Answer-score 21, original post 2013, ranked #54th of 303 in the Excel VBA archive. Last regenerated April 14, 2026.

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