PowerShell Export-Csv
last modified February 15, 2025
In this article, we will cover the Export-Csv cmdlet in
PowerShell. This cmdlet converts objects into CSV format and saves them
to a file. CSV files are widely used for data exchange between systems.
CSV basics
CSV (Comma-Separated Values) is a simple file format for storing tabular
data. Each line represents a row, and columns are separated by commas.
PowerShell's Export-Csv creates files with headers by default.
The cmdlet preserves object properties as columns in the output file.
Basic Export-Csv usage
The simplest way to use Export-Csv is to pipe objects to it
with a file path. This creates a CSV file with all object properties.
The first row contains column headers. Each subsequent row represents
an object's property values.
Get-Process | Export-Csv -Path "processes.csv"
This command exports all running processes to a CSV file named processes.csv. The file will contain columns like ProcessName, Id, CPU, and other properties.
Exporting specific properties
You can select specific properties to include in the CSV file using
Select-Object. This reduces file size and improves readability.
Only the specified properties will be exported. The column order matches
the property selection order.
Get-Process |
Select-Object Name, Id, CPU, WorkingSet |
Export-Csv -Path "process_summary.csv"
This command exports only four properties of each process. The resulting CSV file will be smaller and easier to work with for basic analysis.
Appending to existing CSV files
The -Append parameter adds data to an existing CSV file
instead of overwriting it. The new data must have the same structure
as the existing file. Headers are only written when creating a new file.
Get-Service |
Select-Object Name, Status |
Export-Csv -Path "services.csv" -Append
This command appends service information to an existing CSV file. If the file doesn't exist, it will be created with headers. Subsequent runs add new rows without duplicating headers.
Using different delimiters
While CSV typically uses commas, you can specify different delimiters
with -Delimiter. This is useful for compatibility with
systems expecting other separators. Common alternatives include semicolons
or tabs.
Get-ChildItem |
Export-Csv -Path "files.txt" -Delimiter "`t"
This command exports file information using tabs as delimiters. The backtick-t (`t) represents a tab character in PowerShell. The output file can be opened in spreadsheet software as a tab-delimited file.
Exporting without type information
By default, Export-Csv includes type information in the
first line. Use -NoTypeInformation to omit this metadata.
This creates cleaner CSV files compatible with more applications.
Get-Process |
Export-Csv -Path "clean_processes.csv" -NoTypeInformation
The resulting CSV file starts directly with column headers. Many data analysis tools prefer this simpler format without type metadata.
Handling special characters
When exporting data containing commas or quotes, Export-Csv
automatically escapes them. Strings containing delimiters are wrapped in
quotes. Embedded quotes are doubled for proper escaping.
$data = @(
[PSCustomObject]@{Name="File,1"; Size=100}
[PSCustomObject]@{Name="File""2"; Size=200}
)
$data | Export-Csv -Path "special_chars.csv"
This creates a CSV file that properly handles names containing commas and quotes. The output will maintain data integrity when imported back.
Using Encoding parameter
The -Encoding parameter specifies the character encoding
for the output file. UTF8 is commonly used for international characters.
ASCII may be needed for legacy systems.
Get-Process |
Export-Csv -Path "utf8_processes.csv" -Encoding UTF8
This ensures the CSV file uses UTF-8 encoding, supporting international characters in process names. The default encoding varies by PowerShell version and system configuration.
Source
In this article, we have covered the Export-Csv cmdlet in PowerShell.
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