> AI agents: this is one page from Mammoth Analytics documentation. The index of all pages as Markdown is https://mammoth.io/docs/llms.txt. Append `.md` to any docs URL, or send `Accept: text/markdown`, to get Markdown.

# Add, split, copy and delete columns in Mammoth

> Add, copy, combine, split and remove columns in a Mammoth pipeline. Merge two columns with a separator or split one column into many by a delimiter.

The **Column Management** category in **Describe your transformation** adds, copies, combines, splits, converts and removes columns. Each is a pipeline task, so it changes the View's structure and re-runs on every refresh. To rename a column, use the grid instead: double-click the header or choose **Rename Column** in its 3-dot menu (a Display Change, not a task).

![Column Management category open showing all 6 functions](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260417_115315_ColumnManagementcategoryopenshowingall6functions1.webp)

| Task | Use it to | Covered |
| --- | --- | --- |
| **Add Column** | Add empty columns with a name and type | Below |
| **Copy Columns** | Duplicate columns, optionally as another type | Below |
| **Combine Columns & Text** | Join columns and fixed text into one column | Below |
| **Split Into Multiple Columns** | Break a text column into several by a delimiter | Below |
| **Remove Column** | Take columns out of this View | Below |
| **Convert Column Type** | Change a column's type | [Convert text to dates and numbers](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/convert-column-type/) |

## Add a new empty column

**Add Column** adds one or more empty columns. You fill them with later tasks such as Label & Insert Values or Math Function.

![Add Column panel open, showing three rows each with a column title](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260417_124429_AddColumnpanelopenshowingthreerowseachwithacolumntitle1.webp)



1. Open **Add Column** (or choose **Add New Column to the right** in a column's 3-dot menu).
2. In **Define new column title**, type a name.
3. In **Choose new column type**, pick a type. **Number** opens **Number**, **ID**, **Percentage** and **Currency**; **Text** opens **Text** and **ID**; **Date** is a single option. See [Column types, IDs, currency and percentages](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/column-types/).
4. To add more columns in the same task, click **Add more**. Each row has its own name and type. Click the trash icon to drop a row.
5. Click **Apply**.

A title is required ("Input required") and can be up to 300 characters. It must not match another new column or an existing column ("A column with same name already exists. Try another value").

## Copy a column

**Copy Columns** duplicates one or more columns. Use it to keep an original before you transform it, or to get a version in another type or format. A column's 3-dot menu has the same thing as **Duplicate column values**.

![Copy Columns panel with brand, customer_age and sales_rep selected and new names such as Copy of brand](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260511_175508_Screenshot2026-04-27110616.webp)

1. In **Select columns to duplicate**, click **+** next to each column to copy. A search box appears when the list is long.
2. Each column appears under **Copied columns** as source → destination. The default name is "Copy of brand" (for a column named brand). Edit it in the name field.
3. Optional: hover a row and click its edit icon to set the output options (below).
4. Click **Apply**.

Click the X on a row to drop it from the list. Hovering a row also shows a filter icon, which limits the copy to rows that match a condition.

| Output option | Choices |
| --- | --- |
| **Place in** | **New Column**, or **Existing Column** to overwrite one |
| **Type** for a Text column | **T** (Text) only |
| **Type** for a Number column | **T** (Text) or **#** (Number), with format controls (%, $, decimal places) |
| **Type** for a Date column | **T** (Text) or the date icon, with a **Date Format** dropdown for how the copy shows the date |

## Combine two or more columns into one

**Combine Columns & Text** merges values from several columns, and any fixed text, into one column. Mix columns and text in any order. A text column's 3-dot menu has the same thing as **Combine with another column**.

![Combine Columns & Text panel combining store_name, a separator and location into a new column named Store_label](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260511_175545_combine_column1.webp)

1. Click in **Define values or columns to combine** and start typing.
2. To add a column, pick it from the suggestions (they show type icons). It becomes a column chip.
3. To add fixed text, such as a separator " - " or a prefix "ID:", type it and choose **Add... " - "** from the list. It becomes a text chip.
4. Optional: click **Add Condition** to combine only for some rows. Describe the condition and click **Generate**, or build it with the **Where** column and operator dropdowns. Click **Apply Condition**.
5. In **Place in**, choose **New Column** and type a name, or **Existing Column**.
6. Click **Apply**.

Click the X on a chip to remove it, or **Clear** to remove everything.

For example, to make "Chic Boutique - Miami" from `store_name` and `location`, add the `store_name` chip, type " - " and add it as text, then add the `location` chip. Name the output `store_label`.

## Split one column into several by a delimiter

**Split Into Multiple Columns** divides a text column into several new text columns at a delimiter. The source column stays as it is. A text column's 3-dot menu has it as **Split this column**.

![Split Into Multiple Columns panel open, showing Source column dropdown](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260417_124853_SplitIntoMultipleColumnspanelopenshowingSourcecolumndropdown1.webp)

| Option | What it does |
| --- | --- |
| **Source column** | The text column to split. Only Text columns are listed. |
| **Delimiter** | The character or characters to split on, such as a comma, space, hyphen or pipe. The info icon shows an example: "UK, USA, France" split on a comma gives 3 columns. |
| **No. of Columns** | How many new columns to create, from 2 to 50. A number outside that range is set to the nearest limit. |
| **Result columns** | One name box per new column. Names start as "New column 1", "New column 2" and so on, skipping names in use. Each must be unique ("A column with same name already exists. Try another value"). |

When a value has a different number of parts than you have columns:

- More parts than columns: the last column gets all the remaining parts, joined with the delimiter.
- Fewer parts than columns: the extra columns are blank for that row.

For example, a `name` column holds "Lightweight Box Model-3887-B". Set **Delimiter** to `-` and **No. of Columns** to 2, and name the columns `product` and `model`. `product` gets "Lightweight Box Model" and `model` gets "3887-B", because the last column keeps the remaining parts.

## Remove columns and get them back

**Remove Column** takes one or more columns out of this View.

![Remove Column panel open, showing a searchable column checklist](https://mammoth.io/docs/images/20260417_124811_RemoveColumnpanelopenshowingasearchablecolumnchecklist1.webp)

1. In **Select column(s) to remove**, tick one or more columns. They show type icons (T for text, # for number, clock for date). Use the search box to find columns.
2. Ticked columns appear as chips under **Columns to be removed**. Click a chip's X to untick it, or **Clear** to untick all.
3. Click **Apply**.

You can also remove columns from a column's 3-dot menu (**Remove Column**) or by selecting several headers and choosing **Remove** in the multi-column menu. See [Work in the data grid](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/data-grid/).

Removal is a pipeline task that affects this View only, and later tasks can't use the removed columns. To bring a column back, suspend or delete the Remove Column task in the Pipeline panel. To clear a column from the grid but keep it for tasks, use **Hide Column** instead.

## Limits

| Limit | Value |
| --- | --- |
| Column title length in Add Column | Up to 300 characters |
| New columns from one Split Into Multiple Columns task | 2 to 50 |

## Troubleshooting column tasks

| Message or symptom | Cause | Fix |
| --- | --- | --- |
| "Input required" | A new column has no title | Type a title |
| "A column with same name already exists. Try another value" | The name matches a column in the View or another new column | Pick a unique name |
| The last split column holds several parts | The value has more parts than columns | Raise **No. of Columns** |
| Split columns are blank for some rows | Those values have fewer parts | Expected: extra columns stay blank |
| A removed column is needed again | Remove Column is a pipeline task | Suspend or delete that task |
| A column isn't offered in Split | It isn't a Text column | Convert it to Text first |

## Related

- [Convert text to dates and numbers](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/convert-column-type/): the sixth Column Management task.
- [Rename, format and sort columns](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/rename-format-sort/): rename and hide columns without a task.
- [Label rows, edit cells and fill blanks](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/label-and-insert/): fill a new column with values.
- [Calculate with formulas](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/formulas/): fill a new column with a calculation.
- [Work with text and JSON](https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/text-and-json/): extract part of a text value instead of splitting it.

---
Source: https://mammoth.io/docs/learn/clean-and-shape/manage-columns.md · Updated: 2026-11-08