How to use Column Extractor
Get the best out of Column Extractor: every option explained, a worked example, and what to check when the output is not what you expected.
Updated July 31, 2026
What it does
Pull targeted column segments from spreadsheet or text lists using custom delimiters. It runs entirely in your browser — your input never leaves your device.
Options
Every setting this tool exposes, straight from the code that validates it.
| Option | Type | Default | What it does |
|---|---|---|---|
text | text | — | Delimited text (one record per line). Required. |
delimiter | text | , | Column delimiter (use "\t" for tab). Defaults to ,. |
columnIndex | whole number | 1 | 1-based column to extract. Accepts min 1. Defaults to 1. |
joiner | one of: newline, comma, space | newline | Defaults to newline. |
Worked example
Run these settings on the tool page:
text:hellodelimiter:,columnIndex:1joiner:newline
You get:
hello
Getting the result you want
Most of the control here is in the options above. If the output is not what you expected, the setting to check first is delimiter and columnIndex — those change the shape of the output rather than the input it accepts.
Troubleshooting
- Nothing happens / the output stays empty.
textis required — the tool waits until you provide it. - A value is rejected.
columnIndexaccepts min 1. Anything outside that is refused rather than silently clamped. - It is slow on very large input. Everything runs in your browser, so speed depends on your device. Very large inputs are best split up, or run through the API where the work happens on our servers.
Automating it
The same logic is available as a REST endpoint, so you can run it from a script, a CI job or your own app.
Bashcurl "https://api.toolsxpo.com/v1/column-extractor" \ -H "Authorization: Bearer $TOOLSXPO_KEY"
It costs 1 credit per successful call. See the full endpoint reference, or try it in the playground.
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