How to remove duplicates in Microsoft Excel

Remove Duplicate Entries in Excel [Top Excel Integrations]

By Snigdha | January 17, 2023 8:36 am

Duplicate data can prove to be quite expensive as it can throw all your data and analytics off. However, unfortunately, there is bound to be duplicate data in any Excel file due to manual errors or errors in importing data.

Once you have duplicate data in your Excel file, the entire spreadsheet becomes unusable. Hence, it is important to find and remove duplicates in Excel.

Another way to ensure that your Excel sheets become a powerhouse of performance is implementing workflow automation through meaningful Excel integrations using Appy Pie Connect.

Introduction

Microsoft Excel is one of the most popular and widely used spreadsheet applications and is often applauded for its great ease of use, but when it comes to finding and removing duplicate data, it can get a little overwhelming.

For most frequent users, it is one of the most common and annoying tasks to find and delete duplicates in Excel, especially if they are working with massive data sets.

It is natural to ask at this point - how do you end up with duplicate data on Excel? The answer is not as simple though. It may happen while manually copying tables or data, or when you have to copy multiple tables to the same spreadsheet and there is a data overlap, and it may even happen if multiple people are working on the same spreadsheet and adding data at different times.

Irrespective of how you get the duplicate entries, if you get it, that’s it! Your entire data set is compromised and rendered useless unless you find and remove all duplicates in Excel.

How to find duplicates in Excel

I have kept this as a separate heading for a good reason. There could always be a scenario where you only want to find all the duplicate data before deciding what you want to do with it. The best way to do this is by highlighting all the duplicate content using conditional formatting.

Open your Excel sheet where you want to check duplicate entries.
On the spreadsheet, select the data you want to check for duplication. Then, click the Home tab, then Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cell Rules > Duplicate Values.
A conditional formatting window will appear next. Next, click the dropdown menu under ‘Format with’. Next, choose the color scheme you want to use for highlighting duplicates before clicking ‘Done’.
You now have the duplicate data highlighted to review and decide whether you need to delete any of it.

How to delete duplicate values in Excel?

Microsoft Excel has a built-in tool to help you get rid of duplicates in Excel. Here is a step-by-step process to help you learn how to delete duplicates in Excel.

Go to your Excel sheet that you want to check for duplicates.
Click on any cell or a specific range in the dataset from which you want to remove duplicates.
Now go to the ‘Data’ tab, then go to the Data Tools section, and then click on Remove Duplicates.
A dialog box will appear. On it, you can select the columns you want to compare and check for duplicate data.
Doing this will delete the duplicate rows and display a dialog box that summarizes how many duplicate values were found and removed. The box will also give you the total count of unique values.
As you click OK, you will see your spreadsheet without all the duplicate content.

Top Excel integrations

Integrate Firebase Realtime Database with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you add a new row to a table in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, a child object is automatically created or replaced within your Firebase Realtime Database.
Connect Miro with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you add a new row to a table in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, a new board is automatically created on Miro.
Establish a workflow between Discord and Microsoft Excel so that whenever you post a new message to a specific text channel on Discord, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Build an integration between Spotify and Microsoft Excel so that whenever you create a new playlist on Spotify, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Integrate Notion with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you create a new database item in Notion, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Connect Amazon Seller Central with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you receive a new order on Amazon Seller Central, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Establish a workflow between DocuSign and Microsoft Excel so that whenever you change the status of an envelope in DocuSign, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Build an integration between MINDBODY and Microsoft Excel so that whenever you update a staff appointment on MINDBODY, a new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Integrate Smartsheet with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you add a new row to a Smartsheet spreadsheet, a corresponding new row is added automatically to the end of a specific table on a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet.
Connect Telegram with Microsoft Excel so that whenever you add a new row to a table in a Microsoft Excel spreadsheet, a message is sent automatically on Telegram.

Explore Microsoft Excel integrations

Conclusion

In the blog above, we have talked about the problems you can encounter in case you have duplicate entries in Excel. To ensure that you do not have to face these challenges, you must get rid of duplicates in Excel. Once you have gone through the steps, we have devised ways to empower your Excel spreadsheets through workflow automation by implementing meaningful Excel integrations using Appy Pie Connect.

Explore app integrations on Appy Pie Connect

Snigdha

Content Head at Appy Pie