Delete a column in a list or library
Applies To
SharePoint Server Subscription Edition SharePoint Server 2019 SharePoint Server 2016 SharePoint Server 2013 SharePoint Server 2013 Enterprise SharePoint in Microsoft 365 Microsoft 365 admin SharePoint Server 2010Microsoft SharePoint list columns help you group, categorize, and track information, such as department names and project IDs. You can modify the columns in lists, and when you no longer need a column in a list, you can delete it. Or you can delete a site column from SharePoint. If you're using Microsoft Teams, see Get started with Lists in Microsoft Teams.
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Go to the list that you want to delete a column from.
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Select the column header for the column that you want to delete, and from the menu, select Column settings > Edit.
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To delete the column and the data in the column permanently, at the bottom of the Edit Column pane, select Delete.
Notes:
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Lists contain required columns that can’t be deleted, such as the Title or Name. If the column can’t be deleted, the Delete button is not available. Instead, you can choose to hide the column by selecting the column header, then Column settings > Hide this column.
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You can restore deleted items, lists, sites, and site collections if they are still in the Recycle Bin. However, once a column and its data are deleted from a list, you can't restore them.
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Go to the list.
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For example, from a SharePoint site, select Settings > Site Contents, and then select the name of your list.
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On the ribbon, select the List or Library tab.
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In the Settings group, select List Settings or Library Settings.
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On the List Settings or Library Settings page, in the Columns section, select the name of the column that you want to delete.
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Scroll to the bottom of the Change Column pane, and then select Delete
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To delete the column and the data in the column permanently, select OK.
Note: Lists and libraries contain required columns that can’t be deleted, such as the Title or Name. If the column can’t be deleted, the Delete button is not available. If you can’t delete a column, but you don’t want the column to appear in a view, you can hide it from the view.
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