How To Split A CSV Into Multiple Files

Did you know that you can use Gigasheet to split a large CSV into multiple files in seconds?

Last week, I sat down with Gigasheet’s sales and customer success departments - as I wanted to identify the problems our customers face while working with huge data sets.

Whether you’re exporting data from a CRM, a database or external software, users are generating CSVs with millions of rows and thousands of columns. And the BIG problem is - spreadsheet software like Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets can’t load large CSVs:

• Microsoft Excel can only handle about a Million Rows at a time.
• Google Sheets is limited to 10 Million cells, which is basically the same. For example, a million row file, with 10 columns would max out Google Sheets.

One common task mentioned, was splitting a large CSV file into multiple files, for viewing in manageable pieces. (Worth noting, Gigasheet can also merge multiple CSVs online.)

We have already established that splitting a large CSV file into multiple files using Microsoft Excel or Google Sheets is difficult because the file may simply be too big to open. But what if your CSV file size is small?

Even if it’s small, using Excel or Sheets to split a CSV into multiple files introduces a lot of opportunity for human error. To do so, you would copy and paste data from one file to another and use Save As to create multiple files. It would be very easy to duplicate a row, or accidently drop a row during the manual splitting process.

Don’t worry! We have some good news for you. What if I told you Gigasheet already allows its users to split a large CSV file into multiple files?

With Gigasheet – you can break down your CSV into multiple files literally in seconds, without the risk of copy and paste errors.

Yes! It very much is.

And the best part is – you can use Gigasheet to apply filters, group your data by column, enrich your data, and do so much more – after which you can export the narrowed-down data in a few clicks.

Enough with the hype. Let's show you how to split a CSV into multiple files.

How to Split a Large CSV into Multiple Files with Gigasheet

Wondering how to break down a large CSV file into a separate file comprising the top 500 rows? Or based on any other filter criteria?

First, Log In to Gigasheet

To work your magic on your CSV file, the first step is to upload your CSV file to Gigasheet. But first, you need your Gigasheet account.

Gigasheet is free-to-use. And it’s going to stay the same forever. However, if you want to tap into additional features, you can switch to the Premium or Enterprise plan.

Click here to sign up for Gigasheet. You can use your Google, GitHub, or Microsoft account to sign up.

Once you do that, verify your email to complete the registration.

If you already have an account, click here to log in.

Once logged in, you’ll be taken to your dashboard. You don’t need to install any additional extensions. Every feature you’ll ever want to tap into – all of it comes pre-installed.

Upload Your CSV File to Gigasheet

Now, the next step is to upload your CSV file. Here’s how to do it:

With Gigasheet, you’re not just bound by CSVs. Whether it’s a JSON or an XLSX, you can upload files in multiple formats from different sources.

Exciting, isn’t it?

Once you upload the CSV file, Gigasheet will process it – after which you can finally access it inside Gigasheet.

Let’s open our file in Gigasheet. Here’s what it’ll look like inside Gigasheet:

The CSV file we uploaded in the step above comprises details of leads (it’s filled with dummy data) generated by a software company.

Now, you may be wondering – “This guy just made me upload the file. Now, how do I break it down into multiple CSVs?”

The wait is finally over. It’s now time to split your CSV into multiple CSVs.

But the question is – how do you want to split it? Do you want to export the top 300 rows? Or do you want to add a filter to your CSV file and then  

We’ll try different scenarios to show you the power of Gigasheet.

Want to Split CSV by the Top 100 or 200 Rows? Here’s How to Do It?

Gigasheet, by default, uploads, processes and presents your data as-is. When you upload a spreadsheet file to Gigasheet, Gigasheet automatically adds a “#” column group to it.

You can see it in the right panel – by default, it’s deactivated.

As soon as you activate it, you’ll see the column group “#” inside the spreadsheet:

As you can see, the rows in your spreadsheet have now been numbered. If you already have one such column group in your spreadsheet by default, you can keep the “#” deactivated.

Now, let’s say you want to export the top 300 rows.

Let’s do it by applying a filter:

NOTE – It’s recommended to remove any other applied filters or sorting that you may have performed while performing this operation.

Here are the results:

Of the 668 rows inside the file, we now have the first 300 rows.

Now, let’s export this file.

To export the file, click on “File -> Export.”

Your file will automatically be downloaded. However, it’s important to note that – with Gigasheet’s free plan, you’ll not be able to export all rows. The free plan allows you to export only the first 100 rows. To export all rows, we recommend switching to the Premium plan.

Now, if you want to split the original CSV file into a CSV file that comprises rows named 301 to 400 – here’s the filter you need to apply:

Results:

Whether you want to export the first 100 rows or the last 100, you can apply the right filters and export the final CSV files. That’s how we split a CSV file into multiple CSV files.

How to Split a CSV File into Multiple CSV Files by Applying Other Filters?

Now, let’s say you want to generate different CSV files – based on different filters. For instance, our CSV file comprises leads’ names and other personal information along with the company they’re working in.

So, let’s say you want a separate CSV file for leads working at Apple and a different one for leads working at Intel.    

First, let’s do it for Apple:

Here are the results:

Now you can export this CSV by clicking on “File -> Export.”

Similarly, you can do it for leads from different companies. Also, you can filter leads by title, rating, industry, and more.

To export more than 100 rows, you’ll have to switch to Gigasheet’s premium subscription.

And that’s how you can use Gigasheet to split a CSV file into multiple files. Gigasheet is more than a way to view CSV files online. You can merge CSVs, and even perform basic data science and big data analytics.

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