Convert CSV Delimiter Online
Convert CSV Delimiter between comma, tab, semicolon, pipe, or custom delimiters. Free, offline - with true RFC-4180 quoted-field parsing.
Convert CSV between comma, tab, semicolon, pipe, or any custom delimiter — using a real RFC-4180 parser that respects "quoted fields", doubled-quote escapes (""), and embedded newlines. Fields are re-quoted only when strictly needed so round-trips stay clean.
How to Use Convert CSV Delimiter Online
- Paste your CSV. Any RFC-4180 compliant text: quoted fields, doubled-quote escapes (
"She said ""hi"""), and newlines inside quotes are all understood. - Choose the source delimiter. "Auto-detect" counts candidates (
, \\t ; |) on the first line and picks the most frequent. You can also pick one manually or enter a custom single character. - Choose the target delimiter. Same options. A custom entry must be exactly one character; longer strings are rejected with an inline error.
- Tune quoting if needed. "Force-quote every field" wraps every cell in
"…"(useful for strict importers). "Preserve quotes on fields that were quoted in the source" keeps any field that started life quoted wrapped in the output. - Pick a line ending. LF for Unix/macOS text, CRLF for Windows CSVs and Excel on some locales.
- Click Convert or press Ctrl/Cmd+Enter. Input is also debounced to 250ms so typing produces a live preview.
- Copy or download. Copy places the result on your clipboard. Download picks
.tsvwhen the target is Tab, else.csv, always with a timestamped filename.
Frequently Asked Questions
What is a CSV delimiter?
The character that separates fields on each row of a CSV file. Commas are the default in the US and the original standard, semicolons are common in European locales where comma is the decimal separator, tabs produce “TSV” files, and pipes show up in database dumps.
Why would I need to change a CSV delimiter?
To import into a tool that only accepts one specific separator (Excel expecting semicolon in Germany, for example), to feed a tab-only pipeline, to swap to pipes for a legacy database import, or to quote-proof fields that contain commas.
Does the tool handle quoted values correctly?
Yes. The parser is a real RFC-4180 state machine – it recognises opening/closing quotes, doubled-quote escapes (""), and newlines embedded inside quoted fields. A value like "Smith, John" stays as one field even if it contains the source delimiter.
Can I use a custom delimiter character?
Yes – pick “Custom…” in either dropdown and type any single character. Multi-character delimiters are rejected with an inline error because they would break every downstream CSV parser that expects 1-char separators.
Will changing the delimiter affect my data?
Never the cell values. Only the separator changes and, where needed, the quoting around each cell so round-trips stay safe. A field whose value contains the new delimiter automatically gets wrapped in quotes.
Is my CSV data uploaded to a server?
No. All parsing and rewriting happens in your browser. The tool never makes a network request with your data – no upload, no telemetry, no analytics on the CSV contents.
How large of a CSV file can I convert?
Around 50,000 rows convert in under 100ms on a modern laptop. Beyond that the live-preview debounce is your friend – paste the full blob and the tool re-parses once per 250ms of idle time.
Is this tool free to use?
Yes, completely free – no registration, no limits, no hidden fees. Use it for personal or commercial work.
What happens if my CSV has inconsistent delimiters?
Auto-detect picks whichever of , \t ; | shows up most on the first line. If the rest of the file uses a different delimiter you can override with the manual or custom selector – the parser only trusts the one you told it to use.
Can I convert between tab-delimited and comma-delimited formats?
Yes – this is the most common conversion. Pick Tab as source (or leave on Auto) and Comma as target, or vice versa. The tool re-quotes fields whose values now clash with the new delimiter.