CSV Column Extractor
The CSV column extractor pulls named or numbered columns out of a delimited file and returns them in the order you asked for. It uses a proper RFC 4180 parser, so quoted fields containing commas, escaped quotes and embedded newlines survive intact rather than being split apart.
CSV
Result
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Runs in your browser. Processing happens entirely in your browser. Nothing you enter is sent to Delimiter.live.
How to use the CSV Column Extractor
- Paste or upload the CSV file.
- Name the columns you want to keep, separated by commas — by header name, or by position starting at 1 if there is no header row.
- Confirm the delimiter and header setting.
- Copy or download the reduced file.
Example
Input
id,name,city 1,Ada,London
Output
name,city Ada,London
Common use cases
- Cutting a wide export down to the handful of fields a colleague actually needs.
- Removing personal data from a file before sharing it.
- Reordering columns to match the format an import expects.
- Pulling a single column out to use as a list.
Limitations and things to watch for
- Columns come back in the order you name them, not their original order, which is what makes this usable for reordering as well as filtering.
- A row shorter than the header produces empty values for the missing columns rather than being dropped.
- Naming the same column twice outputs it twice. That is occasionally useful and is not treated as an error.
Frequently asked questions
Can I refer to columns by number?
Yes. Use 1-based positions such as 1, 3, 4. That is the only option when the file has no header row, and it also works alongside names when it does.
Does it handle commas inside a field?
Yes. The file is read with a proper RFC 4180 parser, so a quoted value such as "Smith, John" stays a single field. Escaped quotes and newlines inside quoted fields are handled too.
Can I reorder columns as well as filter them?
Yes — the output follows the order you name them in, so listing email, name returns those two columns in that order regardless of how they appeared in the source.
What if a column name does not exist?
The tool stops and lists the column names it did find, so you can correct the spelling. Matching ignores case and surrounding spaces.