How to Remove Duplicates in Excel

By
Lauren Funaro
August 18, 2023
min read
Updated
December 10, 2024
Photo credit
We've put together a list of simple steps to remove duplicates in Excel, so your data stays clean and organized
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Introduction

Get rid of duplicates in Excel to make your data more accurate and useful.

We've built a step-by-step guide with the basic, short-cut and advanced information you need to get rid of clutter and maintain your Excel sheets.

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How to remove duplicates in Excel

  1. Select the range containing data with duplicates.
  2. Go to the "Data" tab and click "Remove Duplicates."
  3. Choose the columns to check for duplicates.
  4. Click "OK" to remove duplicate rows.

How to remove duplicates from a column in Excel

  1. Select the column with duplicates.
  2. Go to the "Data" tab and click "Remove Duplicates."
  3. Ensure only the column with duplicates is selected.
  4. Click "OK" to remove duplicates.

How to compare two columns in Excel and remove duplicates

  1. Create a new column for comparison results.
  2. Use a formula like "=IF(A2=B2, "Duplicate", "Not Duplicate")".
  3. Filter by "Duplicate" in the new column.
  4. Delete or manage duplicate rows.

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How to remove duplicates in Excel based on multiple columns

  1. Select the range containing data.
  2. Go to the "Data" tab and click "Remove Duplicates."
  3. Choose multiple columns for comparison.
  4. Click "OK" to remove duplicates with criteria.

How to remove duplicates in Excel using a formula

  1. Create a helper column with a formula like "=COUNTIFS(A:A, A2)>1".
  2. Filter for TRUE in the helper column.
  3. Delete duplicate rows.

How to undo remove duplicates in Excel

  1. Use the "Ctrl+Z" shortcut immediately after removing duplicates.

How to remove non-duplicates in Excel

  1. Create a helper column with a formula like "=COUNTIF(A:A, A2)=1".
  2. Filter for TRUE in the helper column.
  3. Delete non-duplicate rows.

How to automatically remove duplicates in Excel

  1. Set up a table using the "Insert Table" option.
  2. Excel will automatically handle duplicates within the table.

How to remove duplicates but keep one in Excel

  1. Remove duplicates as usual.
  2. Use a helper column with a formula like "=ROW()=MIN(IF(A:A=A2, ROW(A:A)))".
  3. Filter by TRUE in the helper column.
  4. Delete duplicate rows.

How to remove duplicates in Excel without shifting cells

  1. Copy the column with duplicates.
  2. Paste it as values using "Paste Special."
  3. Remove duplicates in the pasted column.

Shortcut to remove duplicates in Excel

  1. Select the data range.
  2. Use the shortcut "Alt + A + M."

In conclusion

Tired of manually digging through every column? Declutter your Excel data in seconds with these basic techniques.

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