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NotLarryTheCableGuy
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

iPad converts CSV file to table when renamed to template.csv

To use “batch” processing with the postal service’s informed greetings program, users must supply the addresses in a csv file with the specific name “template.csv”.


on an ipad (ipados 27.0.1), how do users create such a file?


every time we rename a file to meet the postal filename specifications, the file contents are converted to a table rather than retained as comma separated values.


please provide detailed steps.

Posted on Oct 26, 2026 10:57 AM

2 replies

snifferrr
User level: Level 1 (22 points)

Oct 26, 2026 11:04 AM in response to NotLarryTheCableGuy

iPadOS automatically displays CSV files as tables when opened in Numbers, but that doesn’t mean the file has been converted.

Try this:

  1. Open Numbers and enter the required details.
  2. Tap the three dots (…) > Export > CSV.
  3. Save it to the files app.
  4. Long press the file, select Rename and name it template.csv


Make sure it doesn’t end up as template.csv.csv.… that’s it. Even if it opens as a table, it’s still a csv file. Just upload it directly from the files app without opening it again in numbers.

NotLarryTheCableGuy Author
User level: Level 1 (4 points)

Oct 26, 2026 11:09 AM in response to snifferrr

sadly, the postal service’s software is unable to process the resulting file. some extraneous data is included which causes its use to fail.

Originally posted at discussions.apple.com/thread/256383426