Extract a chosen column from each line of simple delimiter-separated text. Follow the exact input and settings below to reproduce this example. Open Extract Column from Text.
Prepare the source text
Open Extract Column from Text and choose Write or paste text, or upload a supported UTF-8 text file. The upload opens the editor; it does not run the tool. This example uses the exact source shown in the comparison.
Maximum input and editable TXT result: 1 MB of UTF-8 text, with a 1,048,576-character input ceiling. Expanding transformations must also fit the TXT result limit. CSV files can be larger because they include column headings, quoting and separators.
Use the exact example input
Ada,London,42 Lin,Paris,37
This text operation runs in your browser; its source and result are not sent for conversion. A draft may be kept in this browser tab when session storage is available. Clear removes the current draft; download important work before closing the tab.
Choose the settings
For the recorded example, use these settings: Column separator: ,; Column number: 2.
A comma is the initial separator and column 1 is selected initially. Multi-character separators are matched literally. The selected field is trimmed at its beginning and end. If a line does not have that column, its result is blank, so the remaining rows keep their relative positions.
The example in this guide
Verified in the i2TEXT browser workflow on November 11, 2026.
- Input
- example.txt
- Output
- extract-column-from-text.txt
- Saved result
- 12 bytes
Apply and inspect the result
Select Extract Column from Text when the input and settings are ready. In the saved example, the result begins: "London".
This is a literal separator tool, not a full CSV parser. Quoted commas and embedded line breaks are not treated as protected field contents.
Result overview shows a one-column table, row totals and Rows with missing columns. A missing source field produces a blank extracted value while retaining its row position. Use the table to check the selected field before exporting.
Result overview distinguishes changed, unchanged and empty results. An unchanged result means the selected operation did not alter the text; an empty result can be the expected outcome of removal or extraction. The table shows 50 rows per page and at most 12 columns. Long cells are shortened after 160 Unicode code points on screen; CSV retains all rows, columns and complete values.
Save the version you reviewed
Review the table and choose TXT or CSV beside the download icon. TXT saves the editable result as extract-column-from-text.txt; CSV saves the complete table as extract-column-from-text.csv, including data beyond the visible preview. Continue to offers compatible next tools for the current text and their limits. Review the transferred text before running the next operation.
CSV describes the last conversion, so editing the result hides the table and disables CSV until you rerun the tool. Copy and TXT download still use your edited text. Formula-like CSV values receive a leading apostrophe to prevent spreadsheet formula execution.
example.txtextract-column-from-text.txt
Common questions
Which settings produced this example?
Column separator: ,; Column number: 2.
What should I check before using the result?
This is a literal separator tool, not a full CSV parser. Quoted commas and embedded line breaks are not treated as protected field contents.
Where is this text processed?
This text operation runs in your browser; its source and result are not sent for conversion. A draft may be kept in this browser tab when session storage is available. Clear removes the current draft; download important work before closing the tab.
Try Extract Column from Text with your own text.
Use your own source and review the result before sharing.
