Change the delimiter in delimited text files - comma, semicolon, pipe, tab, custom.
by
CHUNKY MUNSTER
From:
To:
INPUT0 CHARS
OUTPUT0 CHARS
About CSV Delimiter Changer
Different applications export delimited files with different separators. Excel on European systems often uses semicolons, MySQL exports use commas, and many Unix tools prefer tabs. This tool re-parses your file with the original delimiter and re-serialises it with the new one, properly handling quoted fields. Runs entirely in your browser.
How to Use This Online Data Separator Converter
Paste your delimited text into the input area.
Set the source delimiter: comma, tab, semicolon, pipe, or custom character.
Set the target delimiter.
Copy the converted output or download it as a file.
CSV Delimiter Changer simplifies the process of switching between different plain-text data formats like CSV, TSV, and pipe-delimited files. Delimited text files use a separator character between fields - commas in CSV, tabs in TSV, and semicolons in many European Excel exports. This change csv separator utility ensures that your data is correctly re-parsed and re-serialised, preserving all quoted fields during the transition.
Semicolon to Comma CSV Conversion
Excel exports in European locales often use semicolons because commas serve as decimal separators, causing issues when importing into global systems. This data formatter online tool handles semicolon to comma csv conversion instantly, while also supporting custom separators for niche log formats. By providing a reliable way to switch delimiters, you can ensure your data remains compatible across all your software and database tools.
Convert between comma, tab, semicolon, pipe, space, and custom delimiters
Correctly handles RFC 4180 quoted fields containing the delimiter character
Option to add or remove quoting around all fields in the output
Preview of first 10 rows before converting the full dataset
Frequently Asked Questions
What is RFC 4180 CSV quoting?
RFC 4180 defines the standard CSV format: fields may be enclosed in double quotes; if a field contains the delimiter, a newline, or a double quote, it must be quoted; a double quote inside a quoted field is escaped by doubling it ("" represents one ").
Why does my CSV look garbled after opening in Excel?
Excel uses a "list separator" from Windows regional settings as its CSV delimiter (often a semicolon in European locales). A comma-delimited CSV opened directly in Excel may appear as one column. Use this tool to convert to your locale's expected delimiter, or use Excel's Text Import Wizard.
Can I use a custom multi-character delimiter?
No - delimiters are single characters. If your data uses multi-character separators like |~|, use Find and Replace on the output after converting to an intermediate single-character delimiter.
What happens if the delimiter character appears in a data value?
Values containing the delimiter must be wrapped in quotes (RFC 4180). This tool adds quotes to affected fields automatically when you change the delimiter. If your input is not properly quoted, ambiguous fields are preserved as-is.
See also CSV Column Tools and CSV to JSON to further process your files after using this CSV Delimiter Changer.