Compare Guide
How to Compare Two CSV Files
Compare two datasets using a unique matching column and quickly identify added, removed and changed records.
Why compare CSV files?
Comparing CSV files is useful when you need to understand what changed between two versions of the same dataset.
For example, you might compare last month's customer list with this month's list to find new customers, removed records or changed details.
Choose a unique matching column
The comparison tool matches records using a column that uniquely identifies each row.
Good matching columns include:
- Customer ID
- Employee Number
- SKU or Product Code
- Email address, if it is unique
The selected key should contain a unique value for every record in both files.
How to compare two CSV files
- 1. Open the Compare CSV tool
Open Love Data Tools and select Compare CSV Files.
- 2. Select the original file
Choose the earlier or baseline version of your dataset.
- 3. Select the updated file
Choose the newer version you want to compare against the original.
- 4. Choose the matching key
Select the shared column that uniquely identifies each record, such as Customer ID or SKU.
- 5. Review the differences
Love Data Tools categorises records as added, removed, changed or unchanged.
- 6. Download the comparison report
Download a CSV report showing the differences between the two datasets.
What do the comparison results mean?
Added
A record exists in the updated file but not in the original.
Removed
A record exists in the original file but not in the updated file.
Changed
The record exists in both files, but one or more values are different.
Unchanged
The matched record contains the same values in both files.
Are my CSV files uploaded?
No. The comparison runs locally in your browser. Your CSV data is not uploaded to Love Data Tools for processing.
Ready to compare your files?
Find added, removed and changed records directly in your browser.
Compare CSV files