# Column Renamer

Rename column headers in CSV and table data with preview and validation

> Canonical page: https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/column-renamer

- **Category:** Data Processing

- **Keywords:** column, rename, csv, table, header, data, transform, column renamer

## Overview

The Column Renamer is a powerful utility designed to standardize and clean up column headers in CSV and tabular data, ensuring your datasets are ready for analysis or database ingestion.

## Inputs

- **CSV/Table Data** (textarea): Enter CSV or table data (first row should contain headers)...
- **Delimiter** (select)
- **Rename Mapping (Optional)** (textarea): Enter column mapping (one per line): old_name=new_name or "Old Name"="New Name"
- **Auto Detect Column Types** (checkbox)
- **Case Conversion** (select)
- **Special Character Handling** (select)
- **Include Preview (First 5 Rows)** (checkbox)
- **Output Format** (select)

## When to use

- Standardizing inconsistent column headers from multiple data sources.
- Converting messy or spaces-filled headers into clean, programmatic naming conventions like snake_case or camelCase.
- Preparing CSV files for import into SQL databases or BI tools that require specific naming formats.

## How it works

- Paste your CSV or tabular data into the input field.
- Select your preferred case conversion style and special character handling settings.
- Optionally provide a specific mapping list to rename individual columns manually.
- Generate the transformed data in your desired output format, such as JSON, CSV, or Markdown.

## Use cases

- Cleaning raw exported data for consistent API integration.
- Formatting spreadsheet headers to match database schema requirements.
- Converting human-readable report headers into machine-friendly code variables.

## Frequently asked questions

### Can I rename specific columns manually?

Yes, use the 'Rename Mapping' field to define specific changes using the format 'old_name=new_name'.

### Does this tool support different delimiters?

Yes, you can select from common delimiters like commas, tabs, or pipes, or choose 'Auto Detect' to have the tool identify the format for you.

### What output formats are available?

You can export your processed data as JSON, CSV, Markdown table, HTML table, or simply extract the generated mapping.

### How does the tool handle special characters in headers?

You can choose to keep them, remove them, or replace them with underscores or spaces to ensure compatibility with your target system.

### Is there a way to see the changes before downloading?

Yes, enable the 'Include Preview' option to view the first 5 rows of your transformed data before finalizing.

## Related tools

- [Column Remover](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/column-remover): Remove specified columns from table data
- [CSV Column Selector](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/csv-column-selector): Select specific columns from CSV data by column names or indices. Perfect for extracting relevant data from large CSV files with many columns.
- [CSV Row Column Transposer](https://elysiatools.com/en/tools/csv-row-column-transposer): Transpose CSV data by converting rows to columns, with support for various delimiters and output formats
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## Samples

- [CSV Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/csv-samples): Sample CSV files with various data types, sizes, and complexity levels
- [Python Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/python): Essential Python code examples and Hello World demonstrations
- [Windows String Processing - C# Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/windows-string-processing-csharp): Comprehensive C# string processing examples for Windows platform including string manipulation, splitting, joining, regex operations, and text analysis
- [WebRTC Real-Time Communication Samples](https://elysiatools.com/en/samples/webrtc-samples): Comprehensive WebRTC samples for peer-to-peer audio/video communication, data channels, screen sharing, and signaling server implementation