SharePoint Online: Delete a Column from List using PowerShell

Requirement: Delete a column from a SharePoint Online list.

How to remove a column from SharePoint Online List?

In SharePoint Online, you can delete a column from a list when it is no longer needed. In this article, we will show you how to delete a column from a SharePoint list. Deleted columns are permanently removed and can’t be restored. Remember that any data in the column will also be deleted. Let’s get started!

We can delete Columns from lists or libraries when they are no longer needed. To delete a list column, follow these steps:

1. Navigate to the list where the column that you want to delete is located
2. Click on Settings Gear and choose “List Settings” (In Classic experience: Go to List tab >> Under Settings group, click on the List Settings button in the ribbon).

   

3. Under the List Settings page, in the Columns section, click on the column title you wish to delete.
4. Scroll down and click on the Delete button.

   

5. Confirm the deletion prompt by clicking OK.

This deletes the SharePoint Online list column. The changes will take effect immediately. You can verify that it has been deleted by refreshing the list page and checking that the column is no longer listed. You can also go back to the list settings and check the columns list to confirm that the column has been deleted.

SharePoint Online List: How to Delete a Column in Modern Experience?

To delete a column in a modern list, do the following:

1. Navigate to the list or library from which you want to delete a column.
2. Click on the column header for that you want to delete >> Select Column settings >> Edit

   

3. Click on “Delete” button at the bottom of the Edit Column pane.

   

SharePoint Online: Delete List Column using PowerShell

Here is the PowerShell to delete a column from a List in SharePoint Online:

#Load SharePoint CSOM Assemblies
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.dll"
Add-Type -Path "C:\Program Files\Common Files\Microsoft Shared\Web Server Extensions\16\ISAPI\Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.Runtime.dll"
  
#Variables for Processing
$SiteURL="https://crescent.sharepoint.com"
$ListName= "Projects"
$ColumnName="Project Code" #Display Name of the column

Try {
    #Get Credentials to connect
    $Cred = Get-Credential
    $Credentials = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.SharePointOnlineCredentials($Cred.Username, $Cred.Password)

    #Setup the context
    $Ctx = New-Object Microsoft.SharePoint.Client.ClientContext($SiteURL)
    $Ctx.Credentials = $Credentials

    #Get the List
    $List = $Ctx.Web.Lists.GetByTitle($ListName)

    #Get the Column to delete
    $Column = $List.Fields.GetByTitle($ColumnName)
    
    #sharepoint online delete list column powershell
    $Column.DeleteObject()
    $Ctx.ExecuteQuery()

    Write-host "Column '$ColumnName' deleted Successfully!" -ForegroundColor Green
 }
Catch {
    write-host -f Red "Error Deleting Column from List!" $_.Exception.Message
}

PnP PowerShell to Remove a Column from SharePoint Online List:

Here is how to remove a column from a list using the PnP PowerShell cmdlet Remove-PnPField in SharePoint Online.

#Config Variables
$SiteURL = "https://Crescent.sharepoint.com"
$ListName= "Team Projects"
$ColumnName= "ProjectStartDate" #Internal Name

#Get Credentials to connect
$Cred = Get-Credential

Try {
    #Connect to PnP Online
    Connect-PnPOnline -Url $SiteURL -Credentials $Cred
    
    #sharepoint online powershell delete list column
    Remove-PnPField -Identity $ColumnName -List $ListName -Force -ErrorAction Stop
    Write-host "Column '$ColumnName' Removed from the List Successfully!" -f Green
}
catch {
    write-host "Error: $($_.Exception.Message)" -foregroundcolor Red
}

Is the delete Button missing in Column Settings? Getting an “Operation is not valid due to the current state of the object” Error when trying to delete the field using PowerShell? Attempts to set the “Sealed” Property also failed? Well, For now, I don’t find any other ways to delete a sealed column other than hiding it from the list! How to hide a column from SharePoint Online List?

If you want to remove a site column from SharePoint Online, use: SharePoint Online: Delete Column using PowerShell