CSV Delimiter Detector

A delimiter is the character that separates fields in a text file. Many files are called CSV even when they are actually separated by semicolons, tabs, or pipes. If the delimiter is wrong, every row may appear as one column.

Common delimiters

• Comma: name,email,total
• Semicolon: name;email;total
• Tab: often saved as TSV from spreadsheets or databases.
• Pipe: name|email|total, common in some exports and logs.

Example

Date;Amount;Name
05/08/2026;"$1,240.50";Ada

If this file is parsed as comma-separated data, the quoted money value can confuse the import. If it is parsed as semicolon-delimited data, the fields become date, amount, and name.

How the cleaner uses delimiter detection

The tool checks the first non-empty rows, counts likely delimiters outside quoted text, chooses the most consistent separator, and then parses the file. The cleaned download is exported as standard CSV so it can be used in Excel, Google Sheets, Airtable, databases, and import tools.

When detection can fail

Very small files, files with only one column, or severely broken quoted text may not provide enough signal. Always review the preview table before using the exported file.

Symptoms of the wrong delimiter

The most common sign is every row appearing in one wide text field instead of separate columns. Another sign is money or notes splitting into extra columns because commas inside values were treated like separators.