How to Find Duplicates in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

When working with large datasets with Microsoft Excel, duplicates often creep into spreadsheets.

This duplicate data leads to an inaccurate spreadsheet that can throw your analysis off track. If you’re a data manager or a pro-Excel user, you might be familiar with this issue.

The good news? You can identify duplicate rows and entries and remove them effortlessly with a few quick steps involving conditional formatting and Excel formulas.

This guide will walk you through methods for identifying, highlighting, and removing duplicate values from your Excel sheets to improve accuracy and performance. We will also discuss an alternate tool that will make data management 10X easier! 

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⏰ 60-Second Summary

Here’s a quick overview of how to find duplicate rows and cells, delete data, and more:

📝 Ways to Find Duplicates in Excel

• Find Duplicates with Conditional Formatting
• Find Duplicates Using COUNTIF
• Find Duplicates with PivotTables

➡️ Remove Duplicates 

• Select data, go to Data > Remove Duplicates
• Select columns to check for duplicates and click OK

❌ Drawbacks of Using Excel for Finding Duplicates 

• Requires manual reapplication of tools for updated data
• Deleting duplicates is permanent, risking data loss
• Multiple users may create new duplicates without proper version control, limiting collaboration

✅ Use ClickUp: A Better Excel Alternative

• ClickUp provides a streamlined solution for managing tasks, data, and projects. With features like Table View, Automations, and Formula Fields, ClickUp makes a great alternative to Excel for managing data.

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How to Find Duplicates in Excel

Whether you need to locate duplicate values or duplicate rows, Excel offers multiple methods to make this task simple and efficient.

Let’s explore three popular ways to identify duplicates in your data.

Method 1: Using conditional formatting to find duplicate values

Conditional formatting is a quick way to highlight duplicate values in a worksheet. It works well for finding duplicates in a single column or across a range of data. 

Here’s how you can use this:

Step 1: Select the data range

Highlight the cells containing the list of names to find any duplicates.

Step 2: Navigate to Conditional Formatting

Navigate to Home on the Excel ribbon. Click on Conditional Formatting in the Styles group.

Step 3: Click on the Duplicate Values option

In the dropdown, choose Highlight Cells Rules, then click on Duplicate Values.

Step 4: Pick a formatting style

A dialog box will appear. Choose a color scheme, such as red or green, to highlight duplicate cells.

Step 5: Apply the rule

Click the OK button, and Excel will highlight the duplicate values or duplicate names in the selected cells automatically.

Method 2: Using the COUNTIF function to find duplicate rows

The COUNTIF Excel formula is particularly helpful when you need to count duplicates or identify duplicate rows. 

Follow these steps:

Step 1: Add a Helper Column

Let’s assume column D, next to the Purchase Order Number (Feb) column, is a helper column.

Step 2: Use the COUNTIF formula

In the helper column in cell D2, enter the following formula:

• $A$2:$A$16: This is the absolute reference to the entire range of product codes (A2 to A11).
• A2: This is a relative reference to the current product code.

Step 3: Analyze the results

Drag the formula down to the rest of the rows in column D. Any value greater than 1 indicates a duplicate product code.

Method 3: Using PivotTables to find duplicate rows

Pivot tables are a powerful tool for summarizing data and spotting duplicates. They are ideal for larger datasets or when analyzing duplicates with multiple columns. 

Here’s how to use them:

Step 1: Select your data

Highlight the entire dataset, including the header row.

Step 2: Create a PivotTable

Go to the Insert tab on the Excel ribbon. Click PivotTable and select From Table/Range.

A dialog box will appear. Click the OK button.

Step 3: Add fields to rows and values

Drag the Product Code field to the Rows area of the PivotTable. Then, drag the same Product Code field to the Values area. By default, it will be set to Count.

Step 4: Analyze the counts

The PivotTable will display a list of unique product codes along with the count of each. Any product code with a count greater than 1 is a duplicate.

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How to Remove Duplicates in Excel

Learning how to remove duplicates in Excel is even easier. Here’s how:

Step 1: Select the data range

Select all the cells containing your data, including the header row, by clicking and dragging your mouse.

Step 2: Open the Remove Duplicates tool

Go to the Data tab on the Excel ribbon. In the Data Tools group, click on Remove Duplicates.

Step 3: Specify the column(s) to check for duplicates

A dialog box will appear. In the Columns section, make sure all the headers are checked to identify and remove duplicates. Click the OK button.

Step 4: Analyze the results

Another dialog box will appear, stating how many duplicate values were found and how many unique values remain. This will automatically remove duplicates from the lists.

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Drawbacks of Using Excel for Finding Duplicate Data

Excel is a powerful tool, but it’s not without its challenges—especially when dealing with duplicate data. While it offers many features, like Conditional Formatting, to find duplicate values, it comes with limitations that slow down your workflow or lead to inaccuracies.

Let’s look at some of them:

• Limited automation capabilities: Excel cannot automate duplicate detection. You need to reapply tools like the Remove Duplicates feature or run formulas each time. For businesses handling dynamic data that changes frequently, this manual approach is inefficient and increases the risk of missing duplicates. A workflow dependent on such repetitive tasks is not only time-consuming but also error-prone
• Risk of data loss: The Remove Duplicates tool is a quick way to eliminate duplicate entries, but it permanently deletes data. Since Excel doesn’t offer a preview or backup for this action, recovering deleted data requires undoing steps or relying on backups,if available
• Difficulty identifying unique records: While Excel allows you to highlight duplicates, it doesn’t make isolating or filtering unique values straightforward. Hiding duplicates or viewing unique entries requires setting up additional filters or using the UNIQUE function (a formula to obtain a list of unique values). This is time-consuming for users who are not well-versed in Excel
• Errors caused by empty cells: Empty cells disrupt duplicate identification. For instance, blank cells are treated as duplicates when using the Remove Duplicates tool, leading to incorrect results. Formulas like COUNTIF can misinterpret missing values, causing inaccurate counts
• Limited collaboration and real-time updates: Excel isn’t designed for seamless collaboration. When multiple users work on the same file, duplicate entries can easily be introduced. Changes made by one person may not be reflected immediately for others, and there’s no built-in version control to track edits. This can result in duplicate rows or values being overlooked.

Given these limitations, opting for a database software like ClickUp would be a better step. ClickUp is an all-in-one productivity tool with advanced automation capabilities to simplify your data management and workflows.

Let’s look at what makes ClickUp the best Excel alternative for productivity and efficiency.

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Meet ClickUp: The Best Excel Alternative for Data Analysis

ClickUp is a reliable Excel alternative and doubles up as a spreadsheet software that helps you manage your database with expertise. That’s not all; it has advanced project management features, so you can bring your entire workflow under one roof.

Here’s how ClickUp can help you manage your database and spreadsheets effectively:

Supercharge your data management with ClickUp’s Table View

ClickUp Table View is your go-to tool for easy data management. It allows you to create clean, organized spreadsheets and databases in a snap.

Whether you’re tracking projects, evaluating budgets, managing clients, or organizing your team, it gives you all the required details at a glance.

How Can ClickUp Table View Help You Manage Spreadsheets and Databases?

ClickUp Table View allows you to see tasks, data, and Custom Fields in a structured grid format—just like a spreadsheet but with way more flexibility. It allows you to customize your columns to suit your needs and add fields for numbers, dates, dropdowns, and even formulas.

Need to track revenue, timelines, or priority levels? It’s all in one place, neatly arranged. Filter and sort your data, prioritize it, attach files, add formulas, and have access to 15+ other flexible views to visualize data however, it suits your needs.

How do ClickUp Formula Fields help?

ClickUp’s Formula Fields help you calculate, analyze, and automate data effortlessly, so no manual math is required, even in your worst nightmare. 

Formula Fields allow you to calculate directly in ClickUp using numbers, dates, or even other formulas. Create simple calculations like addition or subtraction, or write more advanced formulas with logic and conditions.

The results are automatically updated, saving time and reducing manual errors. Let’s look at some examples to understand how they work.

1. Creating a Simple Formula

In Table View, click the plus icon above the task list, select Formula, name your Formula Field, and start building your formula.

For instance, if you have two numeric Custom Fields, Revenue and Cost, create a Profit field to keep an eye on project profitability with this simple formula:

Once values are entered for Revenue (e.g., $10,000) and Cost (e.g., $7,000), the Profit column will display $3,000 automatically.

2. Creating an Advanced Formula

To create an Advanced Formula in ClickUp, click the plus icon, select Formula, name it, and click Create. Then, click the fx symbol, toggle on Advanced Editor, type your formula, and press Calculate.

For instance, if you want to know how late a task is, use this formula to calculate days overdue:

This formula calculates the difference between the Due Date and the Start Date, showing how many days a task is overdue. Let’s say the Due Date for a task was December 1, and today’s date is December 5. When you apply the formula, it returns 4, meaning the task is 4 days overdue.

Automate Repetitive Tasks with ClickUp Automations

ClickUp Automations takes the busywork off your plate by automating repetitive tasks. With just a few clicks, set up workflows to handle task assignments, status updates, email notifications, and more.

This feature helps you save time and eliminate human errors, whether you’re managing marketing campaigns, engineering projects, or client handoffs.

How do ClickUp Automations Help?

Using ClickUp Automations, view a task and move it to In Progress. The system automatically assigns it to the right person, updates the task’s priority, and notifies your team. Or, when a client submits a form, ClickUp sends an email confirmation and creates a task with all relevant details.

ClickUp Automations can even handle complex workflows. It enables you to integrate with tools like HubSpot, GitHub, and Twilio to ensure seamless communication between apps.

The result? Smoother processes and more time to focus on high-value work!

What is the role of Formula Fields in ClickUp Automations?

Formula Fields in Automations take flexibility to another level.

They allow you to use formulas as triggers or conditions, creating dynamic automation. For instance, trigger a status change if a calculated field, like total project cost, exceeds a specific amount. You can also notify when a formula identifies underperforming metrics, such as a drop in sales.

Regardless of the level of tasks—simple task updates or advanced calculations, ClickUp Automations transforms how your team works!

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Optimize Your Workflows and Improve Productivity with ClickUp

Advanced data management, such as effectively finding and removing duplicates, transforms your workflow.

You can boost productivity and reduce minor inefficiencies with streamlined processes, real-time collaboration, and improved organization.

ClickUp offers a comprehensive solution for project management and data visualization. It organizes tasks effectively and easily monitors progress so you do not have to deal with hectic duplicates.

Its features, such as the Table View, Automations, and pre-built spreadsheet templates, make managing data simple and intuitive. 

Ready to optimize your work? Sign up for ClickUp today and take your productivity to the next level!

Everything you need to stay organized and get work done.

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