Convert Commas to Semicolons
Comma-separated in, semicolon-separated out — the format European Excel opens correctly.
Examples
| Input | Output | |
|---|---|---|
| Simple | apple,banana,cherry |
apple; banana; cherry |
| Realistic | Artikel,Preis,Menge |
Artikel; Preis; Menge |
Why convert this way
Sending a comma CSV to a European Excel user usually produces one giant column. Their locale expects semicolons. Converting before you send saves the "it will not open properly" email thread.
When you will need it
- Sending a file to a colleague on a European Windows locale
- Preparing an import for software configured for German or French
- Producing a file whose values legitimately contain commas
- Matching the format an existing importer already expects
1,50 rather than 1.50, that is a separate replace step.
What the settings do here
- Split on comma — the tool reads
apple,banana,cherryas 3 separate items. - Join with ;
— producing
apple; banana; cherry.
Where this comes up
Worth doing before you send rather than after they complain. A German or French Excel opens a comma file as one column, and the reply is always the same screenshot of column A.
Related conversions
Still deciding which format you want? The comma vs semicolon comparison sets out the trade-offs side by side.
Going the other way, or joining with something else entirely? The delimiter converter accepts any split and join pair including custom separators, and the index has the 16 ready-made ones.
Frequently Asked Questions
When should I use semicolon-separated CSV?
When the recipient uses a European locale. Their spreadsheet expects semicolons, and a comma-separated file will open as one column on their machine.
Does this also convert decimal points to decimal commas?
No. It only changes the separator between fields. If the receiving locale also expects 1,50 rather than 1.50, that is a separate find-and-replace step.