CSV / Excel / Google Sheets URL to Dataset

Load public CSV, TSV, XLSX or published Google Sheets into an Apify dataset with auto-detected delimiter, every sheet, and row numbers. Glue for automations.

Why this actor

• Handles XLSX multi-sheet and Sheets share links; per-row pricing at a fraction of a cent.
• Pay only for results: $0.10 per 1,000 rows, no start fee, failed lookups are free.
• Robust: automatic retries with exponential backoff, respects Retry-After, per-item error rows instead of crashed runs.
• Clean, flat JSON/CSV/Excel output ready for Google Sheets, Make, Zapier, n8n, Clay, or the Apify API.

Use cases

• Import open data into pipelines
• Schedule refreshes of public spreadsheets
• Feed Make/Zapier/n8n

How to use CSV / Excel / Google Sheets URL to Dataset

1. Configure urls in the Input tab (or leave the prefilled sample values to test immediately).
2. Optionally set maxItems to cap the number of results and control spend.
3. Click Start and export structured results as JSON, CSV, Excel, or connect directly via API / MCP / n8n / Make.

Input

Field	Type	Description
urls	array	CSV, TSV, XLSX or Google Sheets links (public).
maxItems	integer	0 = no limit. Caps cost.

Example input:

{
  "urls": [
    "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/datasets/country-codes/master/data/country-codes.csv"
  ]
}

Output

Each dataset item looks like this (real sample from a test run, long fields trimmed):

{
  "sourceUrl": "https://raw.githubusercontent.com/datasets/country-codes/master/data/country-codes.csv",
  "rowNumber": 2,
  "FIFA": "AFG",
  "Dial": "93",
  "ISO3166-1-Alpha-3": "AFG",
  "MARC": "af",
  "is_independent": "Yes",
  "ISO3166-1-numeric": "4",
  "GAUL": "1",
  "FIPS": "AF",
  "WMO": "AF",
  "ISO3166-1-Alpha-2": "AF",
  "ITU": "AFG",
  "IOC": "AFG",
  "DS": "AFG",
  "UNTERM Spanish Formal": "la Rep\u00fablica Isl\u00e1mica del Afganist\u00e1n",
  "Global Code": "1",
  "Intermediate Region Code": "",
  "official_name_fr": "Afghanistan",
  "UNTERM French Short": "Afghanistan (l')",
  "ISO4217-currency_name": "Afghani",
  "UNTERM Russian Formal": "\u0418\u0441\u043b\u0430\u043c\u0441\u043a\u0430\u044f \u0420\u0435\u0441\u043f\u0443\u0431\u043b\u0438\u043a\u0430 \u0410\u0444\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d",
  "UNTERM English Short": "Afghanistan",
  "ISO4217-currency_alphabetic_code": "AFN",
  "Small Island Developing States (SIDS)": "",
  "UNTERM Spanish Short": "Afganist\u00e1n (el)",
  "ISO4217-currency_numeric_code": "971",
  "UNTERM Chinese Formal": "\u963f\u5bcc\u6c57\u4f0a\u65af\u5170\u5171\u548c\u56fd",
  "UNTERM French Formal": "la R\u00e9publique islamique d'Afghanistan",
  "UNTERM Russian Short": "\u0410\u0444\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d",
  "M49": "4",
  "Sub-region Code": "34",
  "Region Code": "142",
  "official_name_ar": "\u0623\u0641\u063a\u0627\u0646\u0633\u062a\u0627\u0646",
  "ISO4217-currency_minor_unit": "2",
  "UNTERM Arabic Formal": "\u062c\u0645\u0647\u0648\u0631\u064a\u0629 \u0623\u0641\u063a\u0627\u0646\u0633\u062a\u0627\u0646 \u0627\u0644\u0625\u0633\u0644\u0627\u0645\u064a\u0629",
  "UNTERM Chinese Short": "\u963f\u5bcc\u6c57",
  "Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDC)": "x",
  "Intermediate Region Name": "",
  "official_name_es": "Afganist\u00e1n",
  "UNTERM English Formal": "the Islamic Republic of Afghanistan",
  "official_name_cn": "\u963f\u5bcc\u6c57",
  "official_name_en": "Afghanistan",
  "ISO4217-currency_country_name": "AFGHANISTAN",
  "Least Developed Countries (LDC)": "x",
  "Region Name": "Asia",
  "UNTERM Arabic Short": "\u0623\u0641\u063a\u0627\u0646\u0633\u062a\u0627\u0646",
  "Sub-region Name": "Southern Asia",
  "official_name_ru": "\u0410\u0444\u0433\u0430\u043d\u0438\u0441\u0442\u0430\u043d",
  "Global Name": "World",
  "Capital": "Kabul",
  "Continent": "AS",
  "TLD": ".af",
  "Languages": "fa-AF,ps,uz-AF,tk",
  "Geoname ID": "1149361",
  "CLDR display name": "Afghanistan",
  "EDGAR": "B2",
  "wikidata_id": "https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q889"
}

Rows that could not be processed contain an error field and are not charged.

Extracted output fields

Every dataset row includes structured fields ready for spreadsheets, CRMs, and AI pipelines:

• Fields: sourceUrl, rowNumber, FIFA, Dial, ISO3166-1-Alpha-3, MARC, is_independent, ISO3166-1-numeric, GAUL, FIPS, WMO, ISO3166-1-Alpha-2, ITU, IOC, DS, UNTERM Spanish Formal, Global Code, Intermediate Region Code, official_name_fr, UNTERM French Short, ISO4217-currency_name, UNTERM Russian Formal, UNTERM English Short, ISO4217-currency_alphabetic_code, Small Island Developing States (SIDS), UNTERM Spanish Short, ISO4217-currency_numeric_code, UNTERM Chinese Formal, UNTERM French Formal, UNTERM Russian Short, M49, Sub-region Code, Region Code, official_name_ar, ISO4217-currency_minor_unit, UNTERM Arabic Formal, UNTERM Chinese Short, Land Locked Developing Countries (LLDC), Intermediate Region Name, official_name_es, UNTERM English Formal, official_name_cn, official_name_en, ISO4217-currency_country_name, Least Developed Countries (LDC), Region Name, UNTERM Arabic Short, Sub-region Name, official_name_ru, Global Name, Capital, Continent, TLD, Languages, Geoname ID, CLDR display name, EDGAR, wikidata_id

Comparison: CSV / Excel / Google Sheets URL to Dataset vs alternatives

Feature	This Actor (shawndunn/csv-excel-url-to-dataset)	Typical alternatives
Pricing model	$0.10 / 1,000 results, $0.00 start fee	$20–$49/mo subscription or per-run start fees
Failed / error lookups	$0.00 (never charged)	Often billed by compute time even on failures
API keys / proxies required	None (works out of the box)	Often requires paid third-party keys or residential proxies
AI Agent & MCP ready	Yes (mcp.apify.com compatible, optional defaults)	Strict required schemas that reject agent calls

Pricing

Pay-per-event: $0.0001 per row (= $0.10 / 1,000). Use Max results to cap spend. Apify's free plan credit covers thousands of results per month.

Integrations & API

Run on a schedule in Apify Console, call via the Apify API / Python & JS clients, or connect to Make, Zapier, n8n, Google Sheets, Slack and webhooks. Works as a tool for AI agents via Apify MCP.

Use with AI agents (MCP)

CSV / Excel / Google Sheets URL to Dataset is configured for zero-config AI agent tool use via the Apify MCP Server (no required-field blocking on defaulted inputs).

Streamable HTTP endpoint:

https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=shawndunn/csv-excel-url-to-dataset

Claude Desktop / Cursor / Windsurf mcpServers config:

{
  "mcpServers": {
    "apify-csv-excel-url-to-dataset": {
      "url": "https://mcp.apify.com/?tools=shawndunn/csv-excel-url-to-dataset",
      "headers": {
        "Authorization": "Bearer <YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>"
      }
    }
  }
}

Direct synchronous API call:

POST https://api.apify.com/v2/acts/shawndunn~csv-excel-url-to-dataset/run-sync-get-dataset-items?token=<YOUR_APIFY_TOKEN>

FAQ

Is this an official tool? No. It is an independent actor and is not affiliated with, sponsored or endorsed by the data source or any trademark owner named here.

Is it legal? The actor only reads publicly available data from public endpoints, without logins, and does not bypass paywalls or access controls. You are responsible for using the data in line with applicable laws (e.g. GDPR) and the source sites' terms.

Something broke? Open an issue in the Issues tab; we typically respond within 24 hours and ship fixes fast.

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