7 easy ways to find and remove duplicates in Google Sheets

This article explores seven efficient methods for identifying and managing duplicate data in Google Sheets, catering to various skill levels and preferences. Whether you prefer formula-free tools, conditional formatting, or leveraging Google Sheets' built-in functions, this guide provides solutions for every need.

No matter your Google Sheets proficiency, dealing with duplicate data is inevitable. This comprehensive guide covers removing, counting, highlighting, and labeling duplicate entries, offering both formula-based and formula-free approaches. One method even automates duplicate removal on a schedule!

Formula-Free Methods:

1. Google Sheets' Built-in Tool: A straightforward method for removing duplicates. Access it via Data > Data cleanup > Remove duplicates. This tool allows you to specify header rows and select columns to check for duplicates. However, it lacks features like counting or highlighting duplicates.

2. Remove Duplicates Add-on: An enhanced tool offering seven ways to handle duplicates, including finding, highlighting, labeling, copying, moving, clearing, and deleting duplicates. It's highly customizable and even allows for scheduled automated duplicate removal.

3. Pivot Tables: Pivot tables provide a dynamic way to count and visually identify duplicates without altering the original data. By adding columns to the Rows and Values sections of the Pivot Table editor, you can easily see duplicate counts.

Formula-Based Methods:

1. UNIQUE Function: This function returns only unique values or rows, effectively removing duplicates. It offers options to retain the first occurrence or remove all instances of duplicates.

2. COUNTIF Function: Use COUNTIF to count the occurrences of each value in a column, enabling manual identification and removal of duplicates. COUNTIFS extends this functionality to count duplicate rows across multiple columns.

3. IF Function: Combine COUNTIF or COUNTIFS with IF to create a status column that labels entries as "Duplicate" or "Unique," simplifying the process of filtering and removing duplicates.

Conditional Formatting:

Highlight duplicates visually using conditional formatting. Apply a custom formula (e.g., =COUNTIF($B$2:$B$10,$B2)>1) to highlight cells or rows containing duplicate values. This allows for quick visual identification of duplicates.

This article provides a comprehensive toolkit for managing duplicate data in Google Sheets, offering a range of solutions tailored to different user needs and skill levels. Choose the method that best suits your workflow and spreadsheet expertise. Remember to make a copy of the provided spreadsheet to practice the formula examples.

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