Change a CSV's delimiter

The delimiter is the character that separates columns. Most software expects commas, but European versions of Excel often expect semicolons, and some importers want tabs or pipes. Loading the wrong one puts a whole row in a single column.

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Open the Excel to CSV converter

Steps

Load the existing .csv, or a spreadsheet, into the converter.
Open the Delimiter menu and choose Comma, Semicolon, Tab or Pipe.
Download. A tab-separated file is saved with a .tsv extension and the others as .csv.

Good to know

Quoting is automatic

Any cell that contains the chosen delimiter, a double quote or a line break is wrapped in double quotes, and quotes inside it are doubled, so a value like Smith, J. stays in one column.

Picking one

Use comma for most apps. Use semicolon if your numbers use a decimal comma (12,50). Tab is a safe pick when text has lots of commas. Pipe suits some older or database importers.

Line endings

Rows end with CRLF, which Windows and Mac apps both read without trouble.

Check the target app

Some importers let you choose the delimiter on upload, and others assume one. Read the import screen before you pick.

Questions

Will changing the delimiter alter my values?

No. Only the separators change, and cells are quoted where they need it. Check the output before you import it.

Why did my file download as .tsv?

Tab-delimited files are usually called TSV. Rename it to .csv if your app insists.

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This guide was written with AI assistance and reviewed against the tool's behaviour. Always review your output before using it.