Open an OFX File in a Spreadsheet
Double-clicking an OFX download usually shows a wall of tags such as STMTTRN and DTPOSTED, or asks which program should open it. The data inside is a list of transactions, and it only needs reshaping into columns before a spreadsheet can use it.
Your file is never uploaded. The OFX, QFX and QBO converter runs in your browser and makes no network requests while it works. Always review the rows before you use them.
Steps
- Find the .ofx file in your downloads folder. Leave the extension as it is.
- Open the OFX to CSV tool and drop the file on the box, or click to choose it.
- Read the account summary: it shows the date range, number of transactions and the ledger balance if the file has one.
- Pick CSV for the widest compatibility or Excel (XLSX) if you want amounts stored as numbers.
- Download, then open the file in your spreadsheet program and look over the first and last rows.
Good to know
What the columns mean
Each row carries Account, Account type, Date, Amount, Payee, Memo, Type, Check number and FITID. Payee and Memo come straight from the file, so their wording depends on whoever produced the export.
Why not rename it to .csv?
Renaming changes nothing inside. An OFX file holds one tag per value, so a spreadsheet would put every tag on its own line instead of building a row per transaction.
Signs on amounts
The tool keeps the sign written in the file. Money leaving the account is negative and money arriving is positive, which makes a simple SUM give the net change for the period.
Questions
Is the OFX file sent to a server?
No. The page reads the file with JavaScript in your browser tab and makes no network requests while converting.
Does it handle older OFX downloads?
Yes. Both the older SGML layout (version 1.x) and the XML layout (version 2.x) are read.
Can I sort by date afterwards?
Dates are written as YYYY-MM-DD, which sorts correctly as plain text and is recognised as a date by most spreadsheet programs.
Have bank statements as PDFs instead? RowSmith converts text-based PDF statements to CSV or Excel in your browser.
This guide was written with AI assistance and reviewed against the tool's behaviour. Always review your output before using it.
RowSmith is an independent tool and is not affiliated with any bank or software company.