How to fix a Jira CSV export that looks wrong in Excel

Jira Cloud exports search results as CSV, not a native Excel workbook. Excel then guesses encoding and separators, which is why columns collapse, accents break or Chinese, Japanese and Korean turn into nonsense. Here is how to open the file correctly, and when a native Excel export is simpler.

Symptom 1: everything lands in column A

Excel treated the whole row as one cell. Do not double-click the CSV. Import it so you pick the delimiter and encoding:

In Excel for Microsoft 365 or Excel 2016+, go to Data, then Get Data or From Text/CSV, and select the downloaded file.
Set File Origin to 65001: Unicode (UTF-8).
Set Delimiter to Comma (Jira Cloud CSV is comma-separated).
Confirm the preview shows one field per column, then load.

Older Excel without From Text/CSV: open Excel first, use Data > Text to Columns on column A, choose Delimited, tick Comma, finish. If characters are already wrong, fix encoding first (next section) before splitting columns.

Symptom 2: accents or CJK text look garbled

Jira writes UTF-8. Double-clicking a CSV on Windows often opens it as a Western European code page, so Chinese, Japanese, Korean, or characters like é and ñ break.

Prefer Data > From Text/CSV with File Origin UTF-8, as above.
Or open the CSV in Notepad (or another plain-text editor), choose Save As, set encoding to UTF-8 with BOM, save a copy, then open that copy in Excel.
In Google Sheets, File > Import > Upload and pick the CSV; Sheets usually detects UTF-8 correctly.

If the file already looks wrong inside Notepad, the export itself may be truncated or you opened a different download. Export again from Jira and import with UTF-8 from the start.

Symptom 3: columns you need are missing

Export Excel CSV (current fields) only includes columns visible in the issue navigator. Custom fields, comments and many system fields are omitted unless you added them as columns first.
Export Excel CSV (all fields) is wider and usually includes Comment columns and more custom fields. Use it when current fields looks incomplete. See exporting comments and the general Excel export guide.
Very large result sets can hit site export caps. Split with JQL (project, created date or key ranges). See exporting more than 1,000 issues.

When a native Excel file is easier

CSV is fine for a quick dump into Sheets or a script. If you need a real .xlsx with readable comments, chosen custom fields, CJK rendered correctly, PDF or a schedule, an app avoids the import dance. Pledona Export for Jira exports the current JQL search, a saved filter or selected issues to Excel, CSV or PDF, includes comments and attachment links, handles Chinese, Japanese and Korean text, and can save recurring exports in Jira. It runs entirely on Atlassian Forge, is free for up to 10 users, and is pending Atlassian Marketplace review.

Frequently asked questions

Why does my Jira CSV open as one column in Excel?

Excel guessed the wrong delimiter or you double-clicked the file. Use Data, From Text/CSV, set delimiter to Comma and File Origin to UTF-8, then load.

Why is Chinese or Japanese text garbled after a Jira export?

The CSV is UTF-8, but Excel often opens it with a different code page. Import with File Origin UTF-8, or resave as UTF-8 with BOM in a text editor, then open in Excel.

Why are custom fields missing from my Jira CSV?

Current fields follows the columns on screen. Switch to Export Excel CSV (all fields), or add the custom fields as navigator columns before using current fields.

Can Jira Cloud export a real Excel file without CSV?

Not with the built-in export menu. Built-in options are CSV. Apps such as Pledona Export can write native Excel, CSV or PDF from Jira Cloud.