Data Import & Export

Prevent Rounding When Exporting Metabase Data to CSV in Spreadsheets

WPS Editor Sep 28, 2026 869 views

Question details

The user wants to prevent their spreadsheet program from rounding decimal values when opening CSV files exported from Metabase.

How to Prevent Rounding When Exporting Metabase Data to CSV

Product: Metabase / Spreadsheets
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Exporting precise decimal data from Metabase to a CSV file and opening it in a spreadsheet application for analysis.
Observed behavior: Specific decimal values, such as -0.68, are being unexpectedly rounded to -0.70 when the exported CSV file is opened in a spreadsheet.

Before you start

Before modifying any spreadsheet settings, it is crucial to determine whether the rounding is happening during the Metabase export process or when the spreadsheet application interprets the CSV data.

Solution 1Recommended

Verify the CSV in a Text Editor and Import Data as Text

Check the raw data outside of your spreadsheet software to confirm the exact value, then use the data import wizard to force the column format to text.

Spreadsheet applications often automatically format data upon opening a file directly, which can result in truncated or rounded decimals. By verifying the raw file first, you isolate the root cause.

Open CSV in a Text Editor

Right-click your downloaded CSV file, select 'Open with', and choose a plain text editor such as Notepad (Windows) or TextEdit (Mac).

Verify the Raw Value

Locate the specific cell value (e.g., -0.68). If it displays correctly without rounding in the text editor, the issue is caused by your spreadsheet software's default formatting, not Metabase.

Import Data as Text

Open a blank workbook in your spreadsheet application. Go to the 'Data' tab and select 'Get External Data' or 'From Text/CSV'. During the import wizard, select the problematic column and set its data format to 'Text' to prevent automatic number rounding.

Data Preserved: Importing the column as text guarantees the spreadsheet will not alter or round your exact decimal values.

Solution 2

Increase Decimal Precision in the Spreadsheet

If the data is correctly imported as a number, the spreadsheet might simply be hiding the decimals visually. You can resolve this by increasing the displayed decimal places.

Solution 3

Adjust Metabase Column Formatting Before Exporting

Sometimes the rounding happens before the CSV is even generated. Ensure Metabase is configured to display the full number in its table settings.

Efficient CSV Data Handling

Use WPS Spreadsheet to Import and Format CSV Data Accurately

WPS Spreadsheet offers robust text-to-columns and data import wizards, giving you complete control over how decimal values and raw Metabase data are parsed, ensuring no unwanted rounding occurs.

1. Open WPS Spreadsheet: Launch WPS Office on your device and open a new, blank spreadsheet.
2. Import the CSV File: Navigate to the 'Data' tab on the top ribbon, click on 'Import Data', and select your Metabase CSV file from your computer.
3. Use the Text Import Wizard: Follow the wizard prompts, select 'Delimited', choose 'Comma' as your delimiter, and in the final step, click on your data column preview and set the 'Column Data Format' to 'Text'.
4. Finish and Review: Click 'Finish' to complete the import. Your decimal values will remain exactly as they were exported from Metabase, with zero rounding applied.

100% compatibility with Microsoft Excel formats including .xlsx and .csv.Advanced Data Import Wizard allows you to easily assign specific columns as text.Highly customizable cell formatting for precise decimal and number handling.Free and lightweight, avoiding the heavy resource usage of other spreadsheet apps.

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Frequently Asked Questions

Why does my spreadsheet automatically round numbers when I open a CSV?

Spreadsheet applications often apply default generic number formats to imported data to simplify the display. If a column has long decimals, the software might visually round it (e.g., displaying -0.70 instead of -0.68) while keeping the underlying value, or it might alter it entirely based on your local import settings.

How can I tell if Metabase or my spreadsheet is causing the rounding issue?

The fastest way to troubleshoot is to right-click your exported CSV file and open it with a plain text editor like Notepad. If the text editor shows the correct, unrounded number, your spreadsheet is causing the rounding. If it shows the rounded number, Metabase exported it that way.

Can I force my spreadsheet to always open CSVs without changing the formatting?

Double-clicking a CSV will usually force the spreadsheet to use its default automatic formatting. To bypass this, you should always open a blank spreadsheet first and use the 'Import Data' or 'From Text/CSV' feature found in the Data tab. This allows you to manually set column types to text during the import process.

Will formatting a cell as text affect my ability to use mathematical formulas?

Yes, if a number is formatted strictly as text, some mathematical formulas like SUM or AVERAGE might ignore the cell or return an error. If you need to perform calculations on the imported data, it is better to import it as a number and increase the cell's decimal display precision using the 'Format Cells' menu instead of converting it to text.

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