How to Delete a Column From a SharePoint List

Deleting a column permanently removes its data, and you cannot restore the column or its data from the Recycle Bin; to delete one from a modern SharePoint list in a desktop browser, select its header, choose Column settings > Edit, then select Delete. You can also use List Settings, or hide the column if you want to keep its data.

Delete a column through its header

Open your modern SharePoint list in a desktop browser and select the header of the column you want to remove. Choose Column settings > Edit to open the Edit Column pane. You can use the same route for deletable columns in Microsoft Lists in a desktop browser.

Deleting the column permanently removes its data. At the bottom of the Edit Column pane, select Delete. For a column that cannot be deleted, use the hiding steps below to remove it from the view while keeping its data.

Delete a column through List Settings

For a SharePoint Online or Microsoft Lists list with access to its settings, open the list and select Settings > List Settings. Under Columns, select the name of the column you want to delete.

Deleting the column permanently removes its data. At the bottom of Change Column, select Delete, then select OK.

In a SharePoint Online list using the classic experience, open the list and select the ribbon’s List tab. In the Settings group, select List Settings, then select the column name under Columns. Deleting the column permanently removes its data. Select Delete, then select OK.

Delete a column in Lists within Teams

On desktop, open your list in Microsoft Teams and select the column header. Choose Column settings > Edit.

Deleting the column permanently removes its data. At the bottom of the editing pane, select Delete.

Fix an unwanted column by hiding it

Hiding lets you remove a column from a modern SharePoint Online or Microsoft Lists view while retaining its data. It can also help with columns that cannot be deleted. Select the column header, then choose Column settings > Hide this column.

Alternatively, select Column settings > Show/hide columns. In Edit view columns, uncheck the checkbox bearing the column’s exact displayed name, then select Apply. To save the view, select View options > Save view as. Enter the view name and select Save.

Choose the scope before removing shared columns

If you administer content types or site columns, first distinguish the association you want to remove from the column itself. Removing a column from a list content type removes that association; deleting a reusable site column targets its site definition. These operations have a different scope from deleting a column from one list.

For a list with content types configured, use administrative access to open List Settings. Under Content Types, select the content type, then select the column name under Columns. The next action removes the column’s association with that content type. Select Remove, then select OK.

If you also need to delete the list column itself, follow the list column deletion procedure above. Removing the content type association alone does not perform that deletion.

To change a site content type with administrative access, select Settings > Site Settings; if necessary, use Site Contents > Site Settings. Under Web Designer Galleries, select Site content types. Select the content type, then select its column under Columns. If the content type is inherited, make the change at its originating site.

Under Update all content types inheriting from this type?, select Yes to update inheriting types, or select No to leave them unchanged. The next action removes the column association from the selected content type and, if you chose Yes, its inheriting types. Select Remove, then select OK.

To delete the reusable site column, first remove its references from content types using the applicable procedure above. Select Settings > Site information > View all site settings. Alternatively, select Settings > Site contents > Site settings.

Under Web Designer Galleries, select Site columns, then select the column name. Deleting the site column removes the reusable site definition. Select Delete, then select OK.

Delete a column with Microsoft Graph

For a SharePoint Online integration, use an authorized work or school token or an application token with suitable permissions. Microsoft lists Sites.Manage.All as the least-privileged permission for this operation. Identify the target site, list, and column for the Microsoft Graph v1.0 list column endpoint.

Deleting the column permanently removes its data. Send a DELETE https://graph.microsoft.com/v1.0/sites/{site-id}/lists/{list-id}/columns/{column-id} request with the target site, list, and column identifiers, include Authorization: Bearer {token}, and send no request body. A successful request returns 204 No Content.

For Microsoft Graph PowerShell, use an authenticated session with suitable permissions and the Microsoft.Graph.Sites module. Set the variables to your target site, list, and column identifiers; the -WhatIf parameter previews the operation. Running the deletion command permanently removes the column’s data. Run:

Remove-MgSiteListColumn -SiteId $siteId -ListId $listId -ColumnDefinitionId $columnId

Delete a column with SharePoint REST or Power Automate

For a SharePoint Online administrative or developer integration, authenticate to the target site and identify the list-field resource. This requires an authenticated API request, rather than opening an address in your browser. Use the target list and column identifiers in this relative endpoint:

_api/web/lists(guid'{list-id}')/fields(guid'{column-id}')

Deleting the field permanently removes the column’s data. Issue a DELETE request against that resource on the authenticated target site.

For Power Automate, add Send an HTTP request to SharePoint to a flow with a SharePoint Online connection. Set Site Address to the target site and Method to DELETE. Set Uri to the relative endpoint above with your actual identifiers, and leave Body empty.

Running the configured flow permanently removes the target column’s data. Run it using a connection permitted to manage that list.

Delete a column through SharePoint client APIs

In an authenticated SharePoint Online client application, retrieve the target list’s field. You can use either CSOM or JSOM for this operation.

Executing the deletion permanently removes the column’s data. For CSOM, call Field.DeleteObject() and execute the client-context query. For JSOM, call the field’s deleteObject() and execute the asynchronous client-context query.

Delete a column with PnP PowerShell

Use an authenticated PnP PowerShell connection to the target SharePoint Online site. Keep -List in the command to target a list field; omitting it targets a site column instead. Replace the example list and column names with your actual names.

Confirming the deletion permanently removes the column’s data. Run the following command, then respond to its confirmation prompt:

Remove-PnPField -List "Demo list" -Identity "Speakers"

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I manage list columns in Teams on mobile?

Microsoft says these column management features are unavailable in Teams on mobile. Open the list in Teams on desktop to use them.

Can I still use the Microsoft Lists mobile apps to delete a column?

The Microsoft Lists apps for iOS and Android retired and have been unavailable since mid-November 2025. Their former column deletion instructions no longer apply.

Can I use a personal Microsoft account for the Graph deletion API?

Personal Microsoft accounts are unsupported for this API. Use an authorized work or school token or an application token with the required permissions.

Does SharePoint Add-in retirement also retire REST, CSOM, or JSOM?

Microsoft explicitly states that SharePoint REST APIs, CSOM, and JSOM are not retired by SharePoint Add-in retirement. You can continue using these interfaces for SharePoint Online integrations.

Is PnP PowerShell supported directly by Microsoft?

PnP PowerShell is maintained by the community and has no direct Microsoft support or SLA. Current PnP.PowerShell supports SharePoint Online administration on Windows, macOS, and Linux.