Delimited data uses specific characters (delimiters) to separate its values. Most database and spreadsheet programs are able to read or save data in a delimited format.

Any character may be used to separate the values, but the most common characters used are the comma, tab, vertical bar (also referred to as pipe) and space. For example, in a comma-separated values (CSV) file the data items are delimited using commas. Delimited data is often divided into columns and rows. Column headers are defined in the first line of data, and each subsequent line is a row of data. The lines are separated by newline and/or carriage return characters.

Due to their widespread use, comma- and tab-delimited text files can be opened by certain spreadsheet programs without the user designating which delimiter has been used.

For example, the following data is delimited by vertical bars and newline characters:

Date|Pupil|Grade
25 May|Fred Bloggs|C
25 May|Jane Doe|B
15 July|Fred Bloggs|D

ASCII includes several control characters that are intended to be used as delimiters. They are: 28 file separator, 29 group separator, 30 record separator, 31 unit separator. However, it seems that nobody has ever used them.