Key Features
- Delete one or many columns from a CSV file in a single run
- Pick the columns to drop by name (from the header row) — no script needed
- Keep the remaining columns in their original order
- Batch the same column removal across a whole folder of CSV files
- Handles quoted fields, commas and newlines inside values
- Configurable output delimiter and encoding (comma, semicolon, tab, pipe; UTF-8 / UTF-16 / ANSI)
- 100% local processing, no data sent to the cloud
- Windows, macOS and Linux, GUI wizard and command line (CLI)
- Fast on large files with millions of rows
Remove Columns or Keep Columns?
Both do the same thing from opposite directions — use whichever is shorter for your file:
| You want to… | Use |
|---|---|
| Delete a few columns out of many | Remove columns (this page) — list the columns to drop |
| Keep only a few columns out of many | Select / extract CSV columns — list the columns to keep |
How to Remove Columns from a CSV (GUI Steps)
- Launch DataFileConverter, start a new task and set source/target type to CSV 📷
- Load the CSV file (or a folder to batch-process) 📷
- In the column mapping, leave out the columns you want to remove (the ones you keep stay mapped) 📷
- Set the output CSV and run it, then preview the result 📷
Example: drop country and joined
Input customers.csv: id,name,email,country,joined Output customers.csv: id,name,email
Command Line Automation
You can remove columns from CSV files from the command line, for batch or scheduled jobs:
- Build the removal in the GUI and save the session
- Generate a .bat (Windows) or .sh (macOS/Linux) script 📷
- Run it in the command prompt or terminal
- Schedule it with Windows Task Scheduler or crontab
Frequently Asked Questions
A: Open the CSV in DataFileConverter, then leave the columns you want to delete out of the mapping. The output CSV keeps only the remaining columns, in their original order.
A: Yes. Drop as many columns as you need in one run, and reuse the same session to remove the same columns from many CSV files in a folder.
A: The columns are listed from the CSV header row, so you remove them by name. If your file has no header, DataFileConverter can treat the first row as data and use column positions instead.
A: Yes. All operations run locally on your computer. No files are uploaded to any server.
A: Yes. Native versions are available for Windows, macOS and Linux, with GUI and command line.
Related Tools
- Select / extract CSV columns (keep only the columns you list)
- Merge CSV files with different columns
- Convert CSV to JSON
- All CSV tools
Remove the Columns You Do Not Need
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