A CSV delimiter is the character that separates fields in each row. If a CSV opens as one long column, the importer may be using the wrong delimiter.
Despite the name "comma-separated values", CSV files do not always use commas. They can use semicolons, tabs, or pipes.
For example, these two files contain the same three columns but use different separators:
first_name,last_name,email
John,Smith,john@example.com
first_name;last_name;email
John;Smith;john@example.com
Your import tool needs to use a comma separator (also called a delimiter) for the first file and a semicolon for the second.
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.
How to find the delimiter in a CSV file
Open the file in a text editor and inspect the header and a data row. Look for the character that consistently separates fields outside quoted values. Then select that character in your import tool and check its preview: first_name, last_name, and email should appear in separate columns, with each person's values underneath.
If the preview still looks wrong, check whether commas or semicolons appear inside quoted fields before changing the delimiter. See how to open a CSV file for a quick import check.
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.