Confirm that the file really uses semicolons before changing Excel
When a CSV opens in one Excel column, close it without saving and inspect a copy as plain text. If each record contains semicolons between fields, use that delimiter during import; do not split the displayed column manually or replace every comma.
A supplier working in a comma-decimal locale might deliver a header such as Supplier ID;Item;Net amount and a row such as 00421;Valve;18,50. The semicolons separate three fields, while the comma is part of the decimal value. Replacing commas or applying Text to Columns to an already misinterpreted sheet can damage amounts, quoted notes, identifiers, and later rows.
Keep the received file unchanged and create a clearly named working copy outside any automated import folder. Record the expected header count, total data-row count, and several known records. A useful test set includes the leading-zero supplier ID 00421, the decimal value 18,50, a blank field, a product name containing punctuation, and a quoted note that contains a semicolon.
Use an approved text editor to look at the first few lines without resaving them. Confirm that semicolons consistently separate the headers and fields, and check whether quoted text contains embedded semicolons. If different rows use different structures or quotes are visibly unbalanced, stop and ask the supplier for a corrected export; choosing a delimiter cannot repair malformed source records.
Do not rename .csv to .xlsx. A filename extension change does not create an Excel workbook or add workbook structure. The controlled result should be imported into a new workbook and later saved as a separate XLSX file.
Import through Data > From Text/CSV and select Semicolon
In supported desktop Excel for Windows, start with a blank workbook and choose Data > Get & Transform Data > From Text/CSV. Select the working copy, set Delimiter to Semicolon in the preview, and verify that the known header becomes three columns before loading anything.
Microsoft's current import guidance applies to Excel for Microsoft 365, Excel 2024, Excel 2021, Excel 2019, and Excel 2016. Microsoft also lists the Text & CSV connector in the Get & Transform experience for Excel 2016 or later on Windows. Ribbon wording can differ by perpetual version, Microsoft 365 update channel, or organization policy, so use the installation's Text Import Wizard when the From Text/CSV command is absent; delimiter choice appears in step 2 of that wizard.
The preview is a decision point. Confirm the file origin or encoding, choose Semicolon rather than relying on automatic detection, and read across the supplier ID, item, and amount fields. Microsoft documents semicolon as a supported Power Query Text/CSV delimiter and warns that type inference can be wrong, so a tidy three-column preview is necessary but not sufficient.
Choose Transform Data when identifiers, dates, or numbers need explicit types. Set supplier IDs, SKUs, account codes, and postal codes to Text before loading so 00421 does not become 421. For 18,50, confirm that the query's locale and decimal interpretation match the supplier's specification; a value that looks numeric is not proof that Excel stored the intended amount.
Avoid changing the Windows list separator just to handle one file. Microsoft's support page warns that changing that regional setting is a global change affecting other applications. Selecting Semicolon for this individual import is easier to audit and does not silently alter how unrelated programs save delimited text.
Use the browser preview as a comparison, not a repair step
The CSV / Excel Online Preview can provide a second view of an authorized working copy, but it cannot set Excel's delimiter or repair the source. It reads the selected CSV, TSV, XLSX, or XLS in the browser, shows parsed rows and columns, supports search, and renders up to 500 matching data rows.
Search for the known supplier ID and compare the displayed header width with Excel's import preview. If both show the expected columns and sample values, that increases confidence that the delimiter and quoting are being understood. If the ToolboxHub view shows one column while Excel's explicit Semicolon preview shows three, trust the controlled Excel import for this workflow; the browser component exposes no delimiter or encoding selector.
The reverse is also possible: the browser parser may infer a structure that Excel's direct-open path does not. That does not mean ToolboxHub fixed the CSV. Its page does not edit the selected file, change Excel settings, preserve Power Query steps, or validate a destination system.
The Export CSV button creates a separate comma-delimited data.csv from the currently parsed sheet. It is a derived file, not an in-place edit, and it should not be used as an undocumented repair for a supplier exchange format. It also does not preserve formulas, formatting, macros, query definitions, or multiple workbook sheets.
Do not open confidential supplier or customer data in a browser tool unless that use is allowed by your organization's policy. Synthetic rows are enough to compare parsing behavior when the real file contains restricted information.
Verify types and boundaries before saving a new workbook
After the preview is correct, load the query into a new worksheet and reconcile it with the source expectations. Save the result under a new .xlsx filename, close it, and reopen it so the final check covers both the import and the saved workbook.
Check more than the first visible line:
- Compare the imported header count and row count with the supplier's control totals.
- Check the first, a middle, and the last expected record rather than only adjacent rows.
- Search for
00421and confirm that the leading zero remains. - Compare several comma-decimal amounts with an authoritative source and confirm their numeric meaning, not just their display.
- Inspect a blank field, a quoted semicolon, quotation marks, and any embedded line break to ensure later values did not shift columns.
- Review dates against an unambiguous source date and the destination's required format.
If a known value fails, stop before a full downstream import. Return to the relevant layer: request a new export when quoting or rows are malformed, change the delimiter in the Excel preview when the structure is wrong, or adjust Power Query types and locale when values are transformed. Manual cell-by-cell repair hides the rule that caused the failure and is difficult to reproduce.
Keep the original CSV, the import query or documented settings, the saved XLSX, and the reconciliation notes until the receiving process accepts the result. A workbook that opens cleanly is not proof that every identifier, amount, or record boundary survived.
Use a version-specific fallback when the menu differs
The exact fallback depends on the Excel product, so do not assume a Windows ribbon path exists everywhere. Microsoft documents Get & Transform for Excel 2016 or later on Windows, a separate Get Data experience for Microsoft 365 for Mac, a different data-source matrix for Excel for the web, and no Power Query support on Excel for Android or iOS.
On a supported Windows desktop installation without the expected command, search Excel's Data tab for a Text/CSV or legacy text import command and follow Microsoft's instructions for that product. In the Text Import Wizard, choose Delimited and select Semicolon in step 2, then preview field boundaries before finishing.
For Mac or web users, use the product-specific Microsoft page rather than translating the Windows clicks literally. If the available version cannot expose delimiter and type controls for a local file, perform the import in an approved supported desktop environment or ask the data owner for the delimiter and format required by the destination.
Frequently asked questions
Why does double-clicking the CSV put everything in column A?
Direct opening uses Excel's current default interpretation. If the file uses semicolons but that path expects another separator, each record can remain one field; the explicit From Text/CSV preview lets you choose Semicolon before loading.
Should I replace semicolons with commas in the file?
Not as a first fix. Commas may be decimal marks or appear inside quoted text, and a blanket replacement can change real values. Preserve the source and select its actual delimiter during import.
Can Text to Columns repair the already opened sheet?
It may split a simple sample, but it bypasses the controlled file-import step and can mishandle quoting, types, and multiline records. Re-import the untouched working copy with the correct delimiter and verify the preview instead.
Does a correct ToolboxHub preview mean Excel will import correctly?
No. The browser viewer and Excel can infer delimiters and types differently. Use the viewer for comparison, then treat Excel's explicit preview, saved workbook, and row-level reconciliation as the relevant checks.
Is From Text/CSV available in Excel for the web or mobile apps?
Do not assume the Windows desktop path applies. Microsoft documents different Power Query capabilities for the web and Mac, and no Power Query support for Android or iOS; use the instructions for the exact product and version.