Dealing with duplicate data in Excel? Duplicate entries can cause errors in analysis, reports, and calculations. Thankfully, Excel has a built-in feature to remove duplicates in just a few clicks!
In this guide, you’ll learn:
✅ How to find and remove duplicates in Excel
✅ Step-by-step guide to cleaning up your data
✅ Using formulas to highlight duplicates before deleting
✅ Bonus: Advanced techniques for duplicate management
📌 Let’s clean up your data and keep it error-free! 🎯
📌 1. How to Remove Duplicates in Excel (Step-by-Step Guide)
✅ Method 1: Using Excel’s Built-in “Remove Duplicates” Tool
1️⃣ Select the data range (e.g., A1:C100)
2️⃣ Go to Data > Remove Duplicates
3️⃣ Choose the columns where duplicates might exist
4️⃣ Click OK – Excel will remove duplicates and show how many were deleted 🎉
📌 Shortcut: Alt + A + M opens Remove Duplicates instantly!
🎥 Watch how to remove duplicates in Excel:
🔗 Remove Duplicates Tutorial
📌 2. Highlight Duplicates Before Deleting (Using Conditional Formatting)
If you want to review duplicates before deleting, use Conditional Formatting to highlight them.
✅ Step-by-Step Guide:
1️⃣ Select the column(s) you want to check
2️⃣ Go to Home > Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cell Rules > Duplicate Values
3️⃣ Choose a color (e.g., Red Fill)
4️⃣ Click OK – All duplicate values will be highlighted! 🔴
📌 Use this method when you want to manually review duplicates before deleting.
🎥 See how to highlight duplicates:
🔗 Highlight Duplicates in Excel
📌 3. Removing Duplicates with Formulas (Advanced Method)
Instead of removing duplicates directly, you can use formulas to flag them first.
✔ Use the COUNTIF formula to check for duplicates:
📌 In an empty column (e.g., D2), type:
👉 =COUNTIF(A:A, A2)>1
🔹 If the result is TRUE, the value is a duplicate.
🔹 If the result is FALSE, it’s unique.
🎥 Watch how to find duplicates using formulas:
🔗 Excel Duplicate Formula Trick
📌 4. Advanced: Remove Duplicates While Keeping the First Entry
If you want to keep the first occurrence and delete the rest, follow these steps:
1️⃣ Select the data range
2️⃣ Go to Data > Sort (Sort by column where duplicates exist)
3️⃣ Use the COUNTIF formula to find duplicates
4️⃣ Filter out TRUE values and delete those rows
🎥 Learn how to remove duplicates while keeping the first entry:
🔗 Advanced Duplicate Removal
🚀 Final Thoughts
Removing duplicates in Excel helps keep your data clean and accurate. Whether you’re managing customer lists, sales data, or inventory records, these methods will save you time and prevent errors!
📌 Next Steps:
🔹 Want to learn data cleaning techniques? Check out this guide
🔹 Need help with sorting & filtering? Watch this video
📢 How do you handle duplicates in Excel? Share your best tips below! 💬👇