InDesign cannot read CSV: encoding, BOM and Google Sheets
Prepare CSV for InDesign Data Merge: delimiters, headers, UTF-8, UTF-16 and BOM. Google Sheets workflow and checks inside InDesign.
Identify the actual problem
An unreadable CSV is not always a BOM issue. Encoding, delimiter, first row and field contents must agree. If all data appears in one column, check the delimiter. If accents are corrupted, check the encoding. If the first field is missing, check its header and the BOM. Keep the original file.
From Google Sheets to CSV
Use a sheet accessible without signing in and paste its URL into the tool. The gid parameter selects the tab. Published /d/e/…/pub URLs are also supported. Direct retrieval depends on access permissions and Google CORS rules. If it fails, download the CSV from Google and upload it to the tool. Private sheets are not supported: do not publish confidential data just to convert it.
UTF-8, UTF-16 and BOM
A BOM is a byte sequence at the beginning of a file. In UTF-16 it also indicates byte order: LE or BE. The tool reads UTF-8 and recognises UTF-16 LE/BE with a BOM; it does not guess legacy encodings. Export UTF-8 without BOM, UTF-8 with BOM, UTF-16 LE with BOM or UTF-16 BE with BOM. Start with UTF-8 without BOM; if your setup cannot read it correctly, try an alternative and check it inside InDesign. No encoding guarantees universal compatibility.
Headers, delimiters and contents
The first row contains field names. Avoid empty or duplicate headers and check that rows contain consistent field counts. The tool flags these issues without repairing them. Input supports comma, semicolon, tab and pipe; output offers comma, semicolon or tab. Leading zeros, quotes, accents and embedded line breaks are preserved. Embedded line breaks still need checking in the destination application. The tool does not execute formulas.
Connect the file to Data Merge
Download the converted CSV, open your InDesign document and select it as the data source in the Data Merge panel. Map fields and enable preview. Check the first header, accents, codes and representative records before creating the merged document. The online tool installs no JSX, does not access InDesign documents and does not automatically update the data source. Test it in your InDesign version.
Local registry and JSON backups
Each entry is a snapshot of data, name, source and settings. It stays in the browser on that domain: switching browsers, domains or devices does not transfer it. Clearing site data can erase it. Export registry JSON to keep or transfer it. Import validates schema, sizes and contents and adds only new IDs. JSON may include personal data from CSV files: protect it like the original document.