What is column numbering — does it start at 0 or 1?

Columns are numbered starting at 1. The leftmost column in your data is column 1.

How do I handle multiple spaces between columns?

Select the "Space (collapse)" delimiter option. It treats one or more consecutive spaces as a single separator, which handles output from commands like ls -l or ps aux.

Can I reorder columns in the output?

Yes. Enter column numbers in the order you want them in the output. For example, entering "3, 1" puts the third column first and the first column second.

What happens to rows that have fewer columns than requested?

Those rows are still included; missing columns are left blank in the output so row alignment is preserved.

Can I use this for CSV files?

Yes. Set the input delimiter to Comma. Note that this tool does not handle quoted fields containing the delimiter character — for complex CSV, use a dedicated CSV tool.

Is there a row or size limit?

Processing runs entirely in your browser. Very large inputs (several megabytes) may be slow depending on your device, but there is no hard limit.

Column Extractor

Name: Column Extractor
Availability: InStock
Author: Nham Vu

Paste delimited text, choose columns by number, and instantly extract just the fields you need.

Input Delimiter

Columns to Extract

Comma-separated, 1-indexed. Order matters.

Output Delimiter

Skip empty / blank lines

Input Data

Output

Copied!

Summary

Paste delimited text, choose columns by number, and instantly extract just the fields you need.

How it works

Paste your delimited text into the Input Data box.
Choose the delimiter that separates your columns (tab, space, comma, or a custom character).
Enter the column numbers you want to keep, separated by commas (e.g. 1, 3, 5).
Choose the output delimiter for the extracted columns.
Click Extract Columns to see the result.
Copy or download the extracted output.

Use cases

Pull specific fields from a TSV or CSV export.
Isolate IP addresses, usernames, or timestamps from log files.
Reorder or trim columns in whitespace-delimited data before piping to another tool.
Extract first and last name columns from a full employee list.
Pick data columns from a copy-pasted spreadsheet.
Strip unwanted fields from system command output (e.g. ps aux, ls -l).

Frequently Asked Questions

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Last updated: 2026-05-29 · Reviewed by Nham Vu