How to Use RenameColumns() in Power Apps

Introduction

The RenameColumns() function in Power Apps is used to rename one or more columns in a table or data source. It is useful when you want to change column names temporarily while working with data.

Syntax

RenameColumns(
    Table,
    OldColumnName,
    NewColumnName
)

To rename multiple columns:

RenameColumns(
    Table,
    OldColumnName1,
    NewColumnName1,
    OldColumnName2,
    NewColumnName2
)

Example 1: Rename a Single Column

Suppose you have a collection called EmployeeData:

EmployeeName	Department	City
Ketan	IT	Mehsana
Vimal	HR	Ahmedabad

To rename the EmployeeName column to Name:

RenameColumns(
    EmployeeData,
    EmployeeName,
    Name
)

Result

Name	Department	City
Ketan	IT	Mehsana
Vimal	HR	Ahmedabad

Example 2: Rename Multiple Columns

You can rename multiple columns in a single formula:

RenameColumns(
    EmployeeData,
    EmployeeName,
    Name,
    Department,
    Team
)

Result

Name	Team	City
Ketan	IT	Mehsana
Vimal	HR	Ahmedabad

Example 3: Rename a Column in a Gallery

Suppose a Gallery displays data from EmployeeData, and you want to rename EmployeeName to Name:

RenameColumns(
    EmployeeData,
    EmployeeName,
    Name
)

You can use the result as the Gallery's Items property.

Then, inside the Gallery, use:

ThisItem.Name

instead of:

ThisItem.EmployeeName

Example 4: Rename Columns After Filter

You can combine Filter() and RenameColumns().

RenameColumns(
    Filter(
        EmployeeData,
        Department = "IT"
    ),
    EmployeeName,
    Name
)

This formula:

Filters employees from the IT department.
Renames EmployeeName to Name.

Example 5: Rename Columns After AddColumns

You can also combine AddColumns() and RenameColumns():

RenameColumns(
    AddColumns(
        EmployeeData,
        FullName,
        EmployeeName & " - " & Department
    ),
    FullName,
    EmployeeDisplayName
)

Here, a new column called FullName is created and then renamed to EmployeeDisplayName.

Important Notes

RenameColumns() returns a new table with the renamed column.
It does not permanently rename the original column in the underlying data source.
You can rename multiple columns in one formula.
The old column name must exist in the table.
The new column name should not conflict with an existing column name.
If you are renaming SharePoint or Dataverse columns, remember that RenameColumns() only changes the column name in the formula's result, not the actual data source schema.

Common Use Cases

RenameColumns() is commonly used when:

Preparing data for a Gallery.
Combining data from multiple tables.
Avoiding column-name conflicts during Join or LookUp operations.
Creating cleaner column names for temporary tables.
Transforming data before displaying it in a control.
Renaming columns created by other table functions.

Quick Comparison

Function	Purpose
ShowColumns()	Select specific columns
DropColumns()	Remove specific columns
RenameColumns()	Rename existing columns
AddColumns()	Add new calculated columns

Simple Example

RenameColumns(
    EmployeeData,
    EmployeeName,
    Name
)

In short: RenameColumns() → Rename an existing column in a table result.

Conclusion

The RenameColumns() function in Power Apps is a useful table-shaping function that allows you to rename one or more columns without changing the original data source. It is especially helpful when preparing data for galleries, creating cleaner column names, or avoiding column-name conflicts when working with multiple tables.