What This Tool Does

This tool changes the delimiter character in your CSV file. Upload a file with one delimiter and convert it to use a different delimiter. The tool properly handles quoted fields, ensuring delimiters inside quoted values aren't mistakenly replaced.

Common Delimiters

Comma (,): Standard CSV format. Used in US, UK, and many other regions.

Semicolon (;): Common in European countries where comma is the decimal separator (e.g., 1,50 instead of 1.50).

Tab (\t): Creates TSV (tab-separated values) format. Useful when data contains commas.

Pipe (|): Used when data may contain commas, semicolons, and tabs. Common in database exports.

Custom: Any single character you specify. Useful for legacy system compatibility.

Example Conversion

Input CSV (comma-delimited):

name,email,amount
Alice,[email protected],100.50
Bob,[email protected],200.75

Convert to semicolon delimiter:

name;email;amount
Alice;[email protected];100.50
Bob;[email protected];200.75

When to Use This

European system compatibility: Convert comma-delimited files to semicolon for European software that expects it.

Database imports: Some databases prefer pipe-delimited or tab-delimited imports.

Legacy system integration: Older systems may require specific delimiters.

Data with embedded commas: Convert to tab or pipe delimiter when your data contains many commas (addresses, descriptions).

Excel compatibility: Excel's import behavior varies by region. Convert to the delimiter your Excel expects.

Handling Quoted Fields

The tool correctly handles quoted fields:

Input (comma-delimited with quoted field):

name,address,city
"Alice, Jr.","123 Main St, Apt 4",New York

Output (semicolon-delimited):

name;address;city
"Alice, Jr.";"123 Main St, Apt 4";New York

Commas inside quoted fields are preserved. Only the field-separating commas are replaced.

Delimiter Selection by Region

US, UK, Australia: Comma delimiter, period for decimals.

Germany, France, Spain, Italy: Semicolon delimiter, comma for decimals.

Brazil: Semicolon delimiter, comma for decimals.

Technical/data systems: Tab or pipe delimiters are common regardless of region.

Auto-Detection

The tool can auto-detect the input delimiter by analyzing the file:

Consistent column counts: The correct delimiter produces consistent column counts across rows.

Common delimiters checked: Comma, semicolon, tab, pipe are tested.

Manual override: If auto-detection fails, manually specify the input delimiter.

Limitations

Single character delimiters: This tool supports single-character delimiters only. Multi-character delimiters aren't supported.

Large files: Works best with files under 50MB. Very large files may cause slow performance.

Malformed CSV: Files with inconsistent quoting or embedded newlines may not convert correctly.

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel open my CSV incorrectly?

Excel uses your system's regional settings to determine the expected delimiter. In Europe, Excel expects semicolons. Convert to semicolon or change Excel's import settings.

Can I convert from tab-delimited to comma-delimited?

Yes. Select tab as the input delimiter and comma as the output delimiter.

What if my data contains the target delimiter?

Fields containing the target delimiter are automatically quoted. For example, converting to comma will quote any field containing a comma.