Remove column parser

Common columns to remove

Examples include:

  • web_scraper_order
  • web_scraper_start_url
  • Columns generated by Link selectors.
  • Intermediate fields used only as source data for Virtual columns.

Remove or restore a column

Use the rightmost column-control button in the Parser table to remove a column from the output. The column can be restored by toggling that control again.

Removing the column from the output does not mean the original sitemap selector is deleted.

Virtual columns can still use removed source columns

A Virtual column continues to receive data from its configured source column even when that source column is removed from the downloaded output.

This allows a clean final dataset while preserving intermediate fields internally for transformation.

Example:

address_raw        → removed from final output
city               → Virtual column from address_raw
postal_code        → Virtual column from address_raw

Removing a Virtual column is different

Removing a Virtual column deletes that Virtual column together with its child parsers. It cannot be restored in the same way as a regular scraped column.

Before removing a Virtual column, confirm that its parser configuration is no longer required.

Recommended workflow

  1. Create and validate any Virtual columns that depend on the source field.
  2. Preview the transformed values.
  3. Remove the source column from the final output only after dependent columns work correctly.
  4. Download a sample and confirm that the final output contains the intended columns.

Do not remove data too early

Keep raw columns visible while building and debugging parser logic. Raw values make it easier to distinguish a scraping issue from a parsing issue.

Once the parser configuration is stable, remove only the columns that are genuinely unnecessary in the exported dataset.

Troubleshooting

  • If a required column is missing from the export, check whether it has been removed in Parser.
  • If a Virtual column still works after its source disappears from the output, this is expected: the source remains available internally.
  • If a removed Virtual column and its parsers are needed again, recreate the Virtual column configuration.
  • Check the downloaded sample, not only the Parser table, when validating the final schema.

Related

Fig. 1: Remove columns

Fig. 1: Remove virtual column