Small business owner editing a spreadsheet on a tablet and a laptop

Project coordinator sharing a spreadsheet with a remote colleague on a video call

XLSM to XLSX without macros, data intact

Upload the XLSM file and convert. VBA macros are removed and you download a standard XLSX workbook with the same sheets, formulas and formatting, safe to share.

XLSM Encrypted, deleted after conversion

XLS, XLSX, XLSM, XLSB, ODS, CSV, TSV, Numbers, JSON, XML

Google Sheets share link

Convert to

Encrypted, auto-deleted

Demo converts up to 100 rows, once.

Sheet

Delimiter

Encoding

JSON shape

Minify JSON

SQL dialect

Table name

Wrap in a transaction

Dates

Row element

Orientation

Workbook password (if protected)

Trim spaces in every cell Remove duplicate rows Drop empty columns Stack all sheets into one table

Macro enabled workbooks are often blocked by email gateways and flagged by security tools, and many recipients cannot open them at all. Converting XLSM to XLSX removes the VBA project and keeps everything else, which is usually exactly what the recipient needs.

Files are processed in an isolated environment, macros are never executed, and files are deleted after conversion, as described on security. For a flat export, see XLSM to CSV.

How to convert XLSM to XLSX in three steps

1Upload the .xlsm workbook.
2Choose whether to keep formulas or freeze values.
3Convert and download the macro free .xlsx file.

Values produced by macros versus values produced by formulas

A macro can write values into cells, but once it is gone nothing recalculates those cells. That is fine, because the converter keeps the values as they were saved. The risk is the opposite case: user defined functions written in VBA, which appear in formulas like =GetRate(A2). Without the macro they return #NAME? in Excel, so the converter replaces such formulas with their last calculated value.

Buttons and ActiveX controls that trigger macros are removed, since they would do nothing in an XLSX file. Data validation, pivot tables and charts are regular workbook features and stay in place.

Converting is also a clean way to inspect a workbook from an unknown sender without running its code, because nothing is executed during conversion. If the next step is a binary format for size reasons, XLSB to XLSX explains the trade offs, and legacy recipients can get XLSX to XLS.

Options for XLSM to XLSX

Macros are dropped: The VBA project, form controls bound to macros and macro buttons are removed from the output.
Keep formulas: Regular worksheet formulas stay live, or you can write values only.
Keep styles: Formatting, conditional formats, column widths and sheet order are preserved.
Password: Open a password protected workbook with a password you type, used in memory and never stored.

Run it automatically

Companies that accept supplier workbooks can strip macros on arrival: a pipeline watches an email inbox, converts every XLSM attachment to XLSX and stores it in S3 or Google Drive, so no macro file reaches a user. See automation.

XLSM to XLSX questions

What happens to macros when converting XLSM to XLSX?

They are removed. XLSX cannot contain VBA, so the macro project is dropped and the data, formulas and formatting stay.

Will my formulas still work after removing macros?

Standard Excel formulas keep working. Formulas that call VBA functions are replaced with their last calculated value.

Are macros run during conversion?

No. The file is read as data and no VBA code is ever executed.

Why is my XLSM file blocked by email?

Many mail filters block macro enabled files as a common malware vector. A macro free XLSX usually passes.

Can I see the XLSM to XLSX result first?

You can use the one-time demo, which converts up to 100 rows. Full workbooks need a paid plan from 24 USD per month billed yearly.

Related converters

XLSM to CSV XLSB to XLSX XLSX to XLS XLS to XLSX XLSX to ODS

Convert full files and batches

Pro starts at $24 per month billed yearly. Cancel any time.

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