jquery datatables hide column

Hide columns dynamically

The previous answers are using legacy DataTables syntax. In v 1.10+, you can use column().visible():

var dt = $('#example').DataTable();
//hide the first column
dt.column(0).visible(false);

To hide multiple columns, columns().visible() can be used:

var dt = $('#example').DataTable();
//hide the second and third columns
dt.columns([1,2]).visible(false);

Here is a Fiddle Demo.

Hide columns when the table is initialized

To hide columns when the table is initialized, you can use the columns option:

$('#example').DataTable( {
    'columns' : [
        null,
        //hide the second column
        {'visible' : false },
        null,
        //hide the fourth column
        {'visible' : false }
    ]
});

For the above method, you need to specify null for columns that should remain visible and have no other column options specified. Or, you can use columnDefs to target a specific column:

$('#example').DataTable( {
    'columnDefs' : [
        //hide the second & fourth column
        { 'visible': false, 'targets': [1,3] }
    ]
});