How to Use DropColumns in Power Apps: Remove Unwanted Columns from Data

Introduction

When working with tables, collections, or data sources in Microsoft Power Apps, you may sometimes need to remove unnecessary columns from the data you are displaying or processing.

The DropColumns() function in Power Apps allows you to create a new table that excludes one or more specified columns. It is useful when you want to simplify your data, improve readability, or prepare data for further processing.

Important: DropColumns() does not delete the column from your original data source. It only removes the column from the resulting table returned by the formula.

Syntax

DropColumns(Table, ColumnName1, ColumnName2, ...)

Parameters

Table – The table, collection, or data source you want to work with.
ColumnName – The column or columns you want to remove from the resulting table.

Example 1: Remove a Single Column

Suppose you have a collection called colEmployees:

ID	Name	Email	Department
1	Ketan	[email protected]	IT
2	Vimal	[email protected]	HR

To remove the Email column:

DropColumns(
    colEmployees,
    Email
)

Result

ID	Name	Department
1	Ketan	IT
2	Vimal	HR

The Email column is excluded from the returned table.

Example 2: Remove Multiple Columns

You can remove multiple columns using the same DropColumns() function.

DropColumns(
    colEmployees,
    Email,
    Department
)

Result

ID	Name
1	Ketan
2	Vimal

Both Email and Department are removed from the result.

Example 3: Use DropColumns with Filter

You can combine DropColumns() with other Power Apps functions such as Filter().

DropColumns(
    Filter(
        colEmployees,
        Department = "IT"
    ),
    Email
)

This formula first filters the employees from the IT department and then removes the Email column from the result.

Example 4: Use DropColumns in a Gallery

If you want to display filtered data in a Gallery while excluding unnecessary columns, you can set the Gallery's Items property:

DropColumns(
    colEmployees,
    Email
)

The Gallery will receive a table without the Email column.

DropColumns vs ShowColumns

Power Apps provides both DropColumns() and ShowColumns() for shaping tables.

DropColumns

Use DropColumns() when you want to remove a few columns and keep the rest.

DropColumns(
    colEmployees,
    Email
)

ShowColumns

Use ShowColumns() when you want to keep only specific columns.

ShowColumns(
    colEmployees,
    ID,
    Name
)

Simple Difference

Function	Purpose
DropColumns()	Removes specified columns
ShowColumns()	Keeps only specified columns

Important Point

DropColumns() does not permanently delete a column from your SharePoint list, Dataverse table, SQL table, or other data source.

For example:

DropColumns(
    Employees,
    Email
)

This only changes the table returned by the formula. The Email column still exists in the original Employees data source.

Conclusion

The DropColumns() function is a useful Power Apps table-shaping function for removing unnecessary columns from a table or collection.

It is especially useful when:

You need to remove sensitive or unnecessary columns from a result.
You want to simplify data before displaying it.
You are combining it with Filter(), Sort(), or other table functions.
You want to keep most columns but exclude only a few.