Staaarter

CSV to SSV Converter

Parses comma-delimited CSV and re-serializes it using semicolons as the field delimiter, the format commonly produced by European-locale Excel exports where the comma is reserved as the decimal separator. A free online tool from Staaarter, right in your browser.

Runs locallyUpdated 2026-07-29
By Staaarter Team
conversiondelimiter

Overview

Introduction

Spreadsheet software in many European locales exports CSV using semicolons instead of commas, since the comma is already used as the decimal separator in those locales. This tool converts standard comma CSV into that semicolon-delimited variant, commonly called SSV.

It parses the CSV structurally first, so only genuine field-separating commas are replaced, not commas that legitimately belong inside quoted values.

What Is CSV to SSV Converter?

A delimiter-conversion tool that re-parses comma-separated values and re-serializes the same rows and columns using semicolons as the field separator instead.

SSV is a real, named, widely used format, not a made-up variant, it's the default CSV export delimiter in many locale-specific configurations of Excel and other spreadsheet software.

How CSV to SSV Converter Works

The input is parsed character by character with the comma as the delimiter, correctly handling quoted fields that contain commas, semicolons, or embedded newlines.

The resulting grid of cells is re-serialized using semicolons, with any cell containing a semicolon, quote, or newline automatically wrapped in quotes.

When To Use CSV to SSV Converter

Use it when you need to produce a CSV export compatible with a European-locale spreadsheet configuration that expects semicolons as the delimiter.

It's also useful for feeding data into any system or import tool that specifically expects semicolon-delimited input.

Often used alongside SSV to CSV Converter, CSV to PSV Converter and CSV Delimiter Changer.

Features

Advantages

  • Correctly handles RFC 4180 quoting, so quoted fields containing commas or semicolons convert without corruption.
  • Preserves row and column structure exactly, only the delimiter character changes.
  • Runs entirely client-side, so your data never leaves the browser.

Limitations

  • Assumes the input is comma-delimited; already-semicolon-delimited or other-delimited input should go through the matching converter or the general CSV Delimiter Changer instead.
  • Doesn't attempt to detect or convert decimal-comma numeric formatting (like "3,14") inside values, it only changes the field delimiter.

Examples

Converting a small CSV to SSV

Input

id,name,active
1,Ada Lovelace,true
2,Alan Turing,false

Output

id;name;active
1;Ada Lovelace;true
2;Alan Turing;false

Each comma between fields becomes a semicolon; the row and column layout is otherwise unchanged.

Best Practices & Notes

Best Practices

  • Confirm the target system actually expects semicolons before converting, some tools autodetect the delimiter and don't need this step at all.
  • If your CSV contains decimal numbers formatted with commas (like "3,14"), be aware this tool only changes the structural delimiter, not in-value number formatting.
  • Pair with SSV to CSV to verify a round trip reproduces your original data.

Developer Notes

This is a two-step pipeline over the shared CSV grid parser: parse with `,` as the delimiter, then re-stringify the same grid with `;` as the delimiter. Both steps share the same RFC 4180-aware escaping logic used by every other delimiter converter in this category.

CSV to SSV Converter Use Cases

  • Producing a CSV export compatible with European-locale Excel or LibreOffice Calc defaults
  • Feeding data into an import tool that specifically expects semicolon-delimited input
  • Converting a dataset for a downstream system configured for SSV rather than CSV

Common Mistakes

  • Assuming this also reformats decimal numbers to use commas; it only changes the structural field delimiter, not number formatting inside values.
  • Running already-semicolon-delimited data through this tool expecting auto-detection; it always parses the input as comma-delimited first.

Tips

  • If your target locale also expects comma decimal separators inside numeric fields, handle that formatting separately before or after this conversion.
  • Use SSV to CSV afterward to double-check the conversion is reversible for your data.

References

Frequently Asked Questions