How to convert a CSV from comma to semicolon delimited
Quick answer
A CSV uses a delimiter character to separate columns - comma is standard, but many regional Excel settings use a semicolon instead. Convert by re-saving with the delimiter you need, importing with Data > From Text/CSV and choosing the delimiter, or using a free online CSV delimiter converter.
- 1Open Data > From Text/CSV in Excel, or use an online converter.
- 2Set the delimiter to match what you need (comma, semicolon, tab or pipe).
- 3Check that values containing the delimiter are still quoted correctly.
- 4Save or download the converted file.
Free, no sign-up, and your file is read on your own device rather than uploaded.
Excel saves "CSV (comma delimited)" using the list separator from your computer's regional settings, not always an actual comma. In regions where the decimal separator is a comma (1,5 instead of 1.5), the list separator is a semicolon - so a file Excel calls "CSV" is semicolon-delimited, and opening it on a comma-configured computer puts every value in one column.
The fix is either to tell the receiving program which delimiter to expect, or to convert the file to the delimiter it assumes.
Step by step
Upload the CSV
Load the file - nothing is sent to a server, so it works for sensitive data too.
CSV Delimiter ConverterSet the input and output delimiter
The tool detects the current delimiter and lets you choose comma, semicolon, tab or pipe for the output.
CSV Delimiter ConverterCheck the preview
Confirm columns split correctly, including any value that itself contains the delimiter character.
CSV Delimiter Converter
Tips
- In Excel, Data > From Text/CSV lets you set the delimiter manually when importing, without changing any system setting.
- Changing your computer's regional "list separator" setting changes which delimiter Excel itself writes when saving CSV - remember to change it back afterwards, since other programs use it too.
- A value that contains the delimiter, like "Smith, John", must be wrapped in quotes in a comma file - a correct converter keeps the quotes and re-quotes where needed.
- If numbers use a comma as the decimal separator (1,5), converting to comma-delimited without quoting will split them into two columns.
Common problems
Leading zeros or long numbers change when opened in Excel.
Opening the converted file directly in Excel can drop leading zeros or show scientific notation - import it as text instead of double-clicking to open it.
Accented or Arabic characters look wrong after conversion.
Save or export the result as UTF-8, which is what most modern tools and spreadsheet programs expect.
Examples
A contacts file, before and after
Comma-delimited: name,email,city then "Smith, John",john@example.com,Dubai - opened on a semicolon-configured computer, the whole second line lands in one column because there is only one semicolon (none) to split on. Converted to semicolon-delimited: name;email;city then "Smith, John";john@example.com;Dubai - the quoted "Smith, John" keeps its internal comma untouched; only the column separator itself changed, from comma to semicolon.
Frequently asked questions
- Why does my CSV use semicolons instead of commas?
- Many European and Middle Eastern regional settings use a comma as the decimal separator, so Excel uses a semicolon as the list separator. Files saved there are semicolon-delimited.
- Can I change the delimiter in Excel?
- Excel uses your computer's regional list separator when saving CSV. Change it in your regional settings, or use Data > From Text/CSV to choose the delimiter when importing.
- Will converting the delimiter change my data?
- No. Only the separator character between columns changes. Values that contain the delimiter should be wrapped in quotes.
Related data tools
- CSV Delimiter ConverterSwitch a CSV from one delimiter to another without breaking quoted fields.
- CSV to ExcelConvert CSV to Excel the way it should work - leading zeros, long IDs and accented text all survive.
- Data CleanerTidy a spreadsheet, and see exactly what changed, with real before-and-after examples.
- Data WorkspaceProfile, clean, match, compare and reconcile spreadsheets on one screen - without re-uploading between steps.
Related articles
- Excel & Data
Why does my CSV open in one column in Excel?
This happens when the file uses a different delimiter (usually a semicolon) than the comma Excel expects by default in your regional settings - common with files exported from systems set up for a European locale, where a comma is the decimal separator and a semicolon separates fields instead. Converting the file with the correct delimiter detected, or using Excel's Text to Columns feature, fixes it.
- Excel & Data
Why does Excel drop leading zeros from my CSV?
Excel treats every CSV value as "General" format when it opens the file, which means anything that looks like a number is read as one - and a real number can never start with a zero, so it is dropped. Converting the CSV to Excel with those columns explicitly typed as text, rather than opening the CSV directly, avoids the problem entirely.
- Excel & Data
Why does Excel show my CSV numbers as 1.23E+12?
Excel's number type reliably stores about 15 significant digits. A 16-digit card or account number read in as a number gets rounded to fit and displayed in scientific notation - and the digits past the 15th are genuinely gone, not just hidden behind the display format. The fix is to keep that column as text from the start, rather than trying to reformat it back afterward.
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