A dependable CSV cleanup workflow
Audit structure, normalize carefully and validate the output before importing it elsewhere.
Preserve the source
Work from a copy. Spreadsheet programs can reinterpret dates, identifiers and leading zeros when opening or saving CSV.
Audit before changing
Check duplicate headers, inconsistent row widths, blank required cells and repeated records before deciding which cleanup operation belongs next.
Normalize in a safe order
Clean headers and whitespace before selecting columns, deduplicating or comparing versions. Stable headers and keys reduce ambiguous matches.
Validate the destination
Open the exported file in the target system and test a small batch first. A structurally valid CSV can still contain incorrect business values.