How to remove duplicates in excel but keep one

Answer

To remove duplicates in Excel while keeping one instance of each value, use Excel’s built-in Remove Duplicates feature. This ensures that one copy of each repeated entry remains.

Steps to Remove Duplicates

1. Select the range of cells or the entire table where you want to remove duplicates.

2. Go to the Data tab on the ribbon.

3. Click Remove Duplicates in the Data Tools group.

4. In the dialog box, select the columns that should be checked for duplicates.

   • Select multiple columns to ensure duplicates are identified based on a combination of these columns.

5. Click OK.

6. Excel will remove duplicate rows while keeping the first instance of each value.

7. A message will appear showing how many duplicates were removed and how many unique values remain.

Example

Suppose you have a list of email addresses in column A:

After using Remove Duplicates on column A:

Notes

• Windows vs Mac: The Remove Duplicates button exists in the same Data tab on both platforms. On Mac, the interface may slightly differ in appearance, but the functionality is identical.

• Excel keeps the first occurrence of each duplicate and deletes subsequent duplicates.

• Ensure your data has no blank rows, as these can interfere with the duplication check.

This method is quick and does not require formulas. It works for both single-column and multi-column datasets.

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