A CSV delimiter is the character used to separate columns in a CSV file.

Despite the name "comma-separated values", CSV files do not always use commas. They can use semicolons, tabs, or pipes.

Examples:

first_name,last_name,email
John,Smith,john@example.com

first_name;last_name;email
John;Smith;john@example.com

Both files can be valid CSV files. They use different delimiters.

Common CSV delimiters

Common delimiters include:

  • Comma: ,
  • Semicolon: ;
  • Tab: \t
  • Pipe: |

Semicolons are common in countries where commas are used as decimal separators.

🔍 Quick check

If your CSV opens with all data in one column, the delimiter is probably wrong.

Delimiter vs quoting

The delimiter separates columns. CSV quoting protects values that contain delimiters.

For example:

company,description
Datablist,"CSV editor, deduplication tool, and enrichment platform"

The comma inside the quoted description does not create a new column.

Why delimiters matter

Wrong delimiters break imports, CRM updates, deduplication, and enrichment mappings. Before you run a workflow, check that each value appears in the right column.

Datablist helps you open CSV files, inspect columns, and clean data before using tools such as Duplicates Remover, Company Name Cleaner, or Waterfall Enrichment.