Head Text (First N Lines)
Extract the first N lines of a text, exactly as written.
Browser onlyYour data never leaves this device.
Runs entirely in your browser. Your text never leaves this device and is never stored.
Details: Privacy policy
Input
Extracted live. Nothing is stored.
Whole number from 1 to 100,000.
Result
No text yet.
Paste lines and choose a count above.
Head Text returns the first N lines of a block, exactly as written. It is the browser equivalent of the head command, without a terminal: useful for previewing a large paste, taking the header and a few rows from a data dump, or extracting the opening of a document before sending it to someone. The count is yours to set, and when it exceeds the number of lines the whole text comes back rather than an error or padding. Line endings normalise to LF so the boundary is consistent, but no line is trimmed, numbered or filtered - what you see in the source is what the output contains. The result reports how many lines were selected and how many existed in total, which makes an accidental whole-file extraction visible. It is the tool for a quick preview, for cutting a sample from a long log, and for pulling the beginning of a text into a fixed-width field where the rest would overflow. The opening is also where a file declares its shape: a header row, a format marker, a licence block. Taking the first lines into a sample lets a reviewer check that declaration before the body is processed, without copying the whole document into a message. A header comment or a licence notice often occupies more lines than expected, so compare the selected count with the total before assuming the sample ends where the data begins.
How to use Head Text (First N Lines)
- Paste the text and set the number of lines.
- Read the extracted lines and the selected/total count.
- Copy the lines or clear to start over.
What you get
- The first N lines, in their original order and wording.
- The number selected and the total number of lines in the input.
- LF line endings, with no trimming or numbering.
When to use Head Text (First N Lines)
- Preview the first lines of a large paste without scrolling.
- Take a header and a few rows from a data dump.
- Extract the opening of a document for a summary or a message.
Frequently asked questions about Head Text (First N Lines)
Does it number the lines?
No. Use Add Line Numbers if you need counters; this tool returns the lines unchanged.
What if I ask for more lines than exist?
The whole text is returned and the count shows that fewer lines were available. Nothing is padded.
Does it trim whitespace?
No. Leading and trailing spaces are part of each line and are preserved.
Is my text uploaded?
No. Extraction runs in your browser; nothing is sent to a server or stored.
Guides that compare Head Text (First N Lines)
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