About the TSV Column Extractor
Tab-separated exports from spreadsheets and databases often hold more columns than you need. This extractor keeps just the ones you name. List them by number, by a range such as 2-4, or by the heading in the first row, for example name, city. Columns come out in the order you type them, so you can reorder at the same time. The separator is fixed to the tab, so commas, quotes and semicolons inside the cells are kept as ordinary text. It runs in your browser, so the table is not uploaded.
Updated October 2026
How to use the TSV Column Extractor
- 1Paste your TSV into the left box.
- 2Type the columns to keep: numbers, a range or header names.
- 3Leave the header option on if the first row names the columns.
- 4Read the result and the note with the number of columns kept.
- 5Copy the new table or download it.
Trim a wide table
Wide tables are slow to read and risky to share. If a report has thirty columns and your reader needs four, send only those four. The extractor does that without opening a spreadsheet, which can silently reformat dates and long numbers.
It also helps when a tool downstream accepts only a fixed set of columns in a fixed order.
Writing the list
A number counts from 1 for the first column. A range is two numbers joined by a dash. A heading is written as it appears in the first row. Mix them freely: 1, 3-4, notes. If two columns have the same heading, use numbers instead.
- 1,4
- 2-5
- name, city
- 1, 3-4, notes
Check the output
The note under the result says how many columns and rows were kept. If the count is off, check that the header option matches your data.
Where TSV comes from
Copying a block of cells from Excel, Google Sheets or Numbers puts tab-separated text on your clipboard. Database tools, bioinformatics programs and many command-line utilities also write TSV. Because tabs rarely occur inside names and sentences, the format needs no quoting, which makes column picking reliable.
If your file uses commas instead of tabs, the CSV Column Extractor reads it, and the CSV to TSV Converter changes one into the other.
Phone and computer
On a phone, paste into the box, adjust the columns and the header option, and tap Copy to carry the result into another app. On a computer you can also download it as a file. The two boxes sit side by side on a wide screen and one above the other on a narrow one, so you can compare input and result without zooming. Nothing you paste is uploaded or stored. For comma files use the CSV Column Extractor, and the TSV Column Remover drops a column.
Features
- Pick by number, range or heading
- Output follows the order you type
- Tab separator is fixed
- Commas inside cells stay as text
- Shows columns and rows kept
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I extract columns from a TSV file?
Paste the tab-separated text and type the columns, for example 2,4 or name, city. The tool returns a smaller table containing only those columns.
Can I select columns by heading?
Yes, when the first row is a heading row and that option is ticked. Type the headings separated by commas; capital letters do not matter.
Can I reorder columns with it?
Yes. Whatever order you list the columns in is the order of the output.
What if a heading does not exist?
The tool stops and names the heading it could not find, so you can correct the spelling or use the column number instead.
Is it different from the CSV Column Extractor?
Only in the separator. This one always reads and writes tabs, which is safest for data copied from spreadsheets.
Is my table uploaded?
No. The columns are picked in your browser and the table never leaves your device.