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dplyr everything() in R: Select All Remaining Columns

The everything() helper in dplyr selects ALL columns not already mentioned. It is the tidyselect catch-all, useful for reordering columns or applying a transformation across every column.

By Selva Prabhakaran  ·  Published May 11, 2026  ·  Last updated May 11, 2026
⚡ Quick Answer
df |> select(id, everything())              # move id first, keep all others
df |> select(everything())                   # all columns (no-op)
df |> mutate(across(everything(), as.character))
df |> summarise(across(everything(), mean))
df |> select(-id, everything())             # drop id then all rest

Need explanation? Read on for examples and pitfalls.

📊 Is everything() the right tool?
STARTreorder columns (some first, then rest)select(specific, everything())apply transformation to all columnsacross(everything(), fn)pick_all-columns inside dplyr verbpick(everything())summarise every columnsummarise(across(everything(), fn))select all columns of a typewhere(is.numeric) etc.

What everything() does in one sentence

everything() selects every column not already mentioned earlier in the same selection. Inside select, it acts as a catch-all; inside across, it means "apply this to every column".

Syntax

everything(). No arguments. Used inside tidyselect contexts.

Run live
Run live, no install needed. Every R block on this page runs in your browser. Click Run, edit the code, re-run instantly. No setup.
RReorder: id first, rest after
library(dplyr) df <- tibble(name = c("a","b"), age = c(20, 30), id = c(1, 2)) df |> select(id, everything()) #> id name age #> 1 1 a 20 #> 2 2 b 30

  

  





Tip
The most common everything() use is select(key, everything()) to bring one column to the front. dplyr lets you specify just the new "first" columns; everything() handles the rest.



Five common patterns



1. Move one column to the front




  

    
RBring id first

    
df |>
  select(id, everything())

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





2. Apply transformation to every column




  

    
RZ-score every column

    
mtcars |>
  mutate(across(everything(), ~ (.x - mean(.x)) / sd(.x)))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





3. Summarise every column




  

    
RMean of every column

    
mtcars |>
  summarise(across(everything(), mean))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





4. Select all in a specific order




  

    
RReorder several, keep rest

    
df |>
  select(id, name, everything())

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





5. Drop one and keep the rest in order




  

    
RNegative selection plus everything

    
df |>
  select(-id) |>
  select(name, everything())

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Key Insight
everything() is a "remaining columns" placeholder. When you've explicitly named the columns that go FIRST, everything() fills in the rest in their original order. This is the cleanest way to move a column to the front without listing every other column.



everything() vs all_of() vs where()



Three "select many columns" approaches.







Helper
Selects






everything()
All columns (catch-all)




all_of(c(...))
Specific columns from a vector; errors if missing




any_of(c(...))
Specific columns from a vector; tolerates missing




where(.fn)
Columns matching a predicate







When to use which:



    


  • everything() for "and the rest".
    • 


  • all_of for known column lists from a variable.
    • 


  • where for type-based.
    • 





A practical workflow



Use everything() to reorder columns without enumerating every column.




  

    
RInteractive R

    
df |>
  select(primary_key, timestamp, everything())

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Brings primary_key and timestamp to the front; rest stays in original order.



For across:




  

    
RInteractive R

    
df |>
  mutate(across(everything(), ~ ifelse(is.na(.x), "Missing", .x)))

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Replace NA with "Missing" in EVERY column.



Common pitfalls



Pitfall 1: select(everything(), id) is the same as select(everything()). Once everything() is applied, subsequent column names don't reorder. Put your "first" columns BEFORE everything().



Pitfall 2: confusing everything with all_of. everything is a catch-all; all_of takes a specific vector of names. Different semantics.



Warning
select(everything()) alone is a no-op. It just returns all columns. The point of everything() is to pair with explicit names: select(key, everything()).



Try it yourself





Try it: Reorder mtcars to put cyl first, then everything else. Save to ex_reordered.



  

    
RYour turn: cyl first

    
ex_reordered <- mtcars |>
  # your code here

names(ex_reordered)[1:3]
#> Expected: cyl first, then mpg and others

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Click to reveal solution



  

    
RSolution

    
ex_reordered <- mtcars |>
  select(cyl, everything())

names(ex_reordered)[1:3]
#> [1] "cyl" "mpg" "disp"

    

      
      
    

    

  

  





Explanation: cyl is moved to position 1; everything else keeps its original order.










After mastering everything, look at:



    


  • where(): predicate-based selection
    • 


  • starts_with() / ends_with() / contains() / matches(): name-based
    • 


  • all_of() / any_of(): vector-of-names selection
    • 


  • last_col(): rightmost column
    • 


  • num_range(): numeric-suffixed names
    • 





For "all columns of a type", combine: everything() & where(is.numeric).



Why everything is so useful for column reordering



Without everything(), reordering columns means listing every column, which is brittle if columns are added later. select(id, name, age, city, ...) breaks when you add a new column. select(id, everything()) is robust: any new column automatically goes after id without code changes. This makes pipelines maintenance-friendly.



FAQ



What does everything do in dplyr?



everything() is a tidyselect helper that selects all columns not already mentioned. Used to reorder columns or apply transformations to every column.



How do I move one column to the front in dplyr?



select(df, target_col, everything()). The target moves to position 1; everything else keeps its original order.



Can I use everything to select all columns?



Yes. select(df, everything()) is equivalent to select(df, all_of(names(df))). Both return all columns, though everything() is rarely used alone (no reordering).



What is the difference between everything and all_of?



everything() is a catch-all for columns not already mentioned. all_of takes a specific character vector of column names.



Does everything respect column order?



Yes. Unmentioned columns appear in their ORIGINAL order, not alphabetically.



          

        


        
      


      

        

        
© 2016-2026 Selva Prabhakaran.
          This work is licensed under the Creative Commons License.
        

        

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