What Is a Delimited File?

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What are delimited files?

Delimited files are common in reporting, imports, exports, warehouse systems, accounting systems, and test data workflows. Each line is usually one record, and each delimiter separates one field from the next.

poNumber,sku,quantity,unitPrice
123456,ABC123,10,15.25
123456,XYZ789,4,7.50

A full delimited file example

This simple CSV example shows one order number repeated across two item rows. It is the kind of file that often needs a delimiter change before import.

poNumber,sku,quantity,unitPrice
123456,ABC123,10,15.25
123456,XYZ789,4,7.50

Common delimiters

Comma CSV uses commas between fields and is common for spreadsheets.

Pipe-delimited files use | and are common in integrations because the pipe is less likely to appear inside normal text.

Tab-delimited files use tab characters and are often used for spreadsheet exports.

Semicolon-delimited files are sometimes used when commas appear in numeric or regional formats.

Why teams convert delimited files

One system may export comma CSV while another expects pipe-delimited or tab-delimited input. A converter lets QA and integration teams take the same rows and generate the file format needed by the target system.

USA Data Tools can load or paste a delimited file, detect the input delimiter, preview the rows, and export a converted file in the browser.

What this is good for

Use this overview when you need to move rows between CSV, pipe-delimited, tab-delimited, or semicolon-delimited layouts before conversion or compare work.

Before:

poNumber,sku,quantity
123456,ABC123,10

After:

poNumber|sku|quantity
123456|ABC123|10

Open the delimited tool or use Cross-Format File Compare when you need to check the result against another file.