Unique data from excel

Filter for unique values or remove duplicate values

In Excel, there are several ways to filter for unique values—or remove duplicate values:

• To filter for unique values, click Data > Sort & Filter > Advanced.
  

• To remove duplicate values, click Data > Data Tools > Remove Duplicates.
  

• To highlight unique or duplicate values, use the Conditional Formatting command in the Style group on the Home tab.

Filtering for unique values and removing duplicate values are two similar tasks, since the objective is to present a list of unique values. There is a critical difference, however: When you filter for unique values, the duplicate values are only hidden temporarily. However, removing duplicate values means that you are permanently deleting duplicate values.

A duplicate value is one in which all values in at least one row are identical to all of the values in another row. A comparison of duplicate values depends on the what appears in the cell—not the underlying value stored in the cell. For example, if you have the same date value in different cells, one formatted as «3/8/2006» and the other as «Mar 8, 2006», the values are unique.

Check before removing duplicates: Before removing duplicate values, it’s a good idea to first try to filter on—or conditionally format on—unique values to confirm that you achieve the results you expect.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the range of cells, or ensure that the active cell is in a table.

2. Click Data > Advanced (in the Sort & Filter group).

   

3. In the Advanced Filter popup box, do one of the following:

To filter the range of cells or table in place:

• Click Filter the list, in-place.

To copy the results of the filter to another location:

• Click Copy to another location.

• In the Copy to box, enter a cell reference.

• Alternatively, click Collapse Dialog to temporarily hide the popup window, select a cell on the worksheet, and then click Expand .

• Check the Unique records only, then click OK.

The unique values from the range will copy to the new location.

When you remove duplicate values, the only effect is on the values in the range of cells or table. Other values outside the range of cells or table will not change or move.  When duplicates are removed, the first occurrence of the value in the list is kept, but other identical values are deleted. 

Because you are permanently deleting data, it’s a good idea to copy the original range of cells or table to another worksheet or workbook before removing duplicate values.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the range of cells, or ensure that the active cell is in a table.

2. On the Data tab, click Remove Duplicates (in the Data Tools group).

   

3. Do one or more of the following:

   • Under Columns, select one or more columns.

   • To quickly select all columns, click Select All.

   • To quickly clear all columns, click Unselect All.

     If the range of cells or table contains many columns and you want to only select a few columns, you may find it easier to click Unselect All, and then under Columns, select those columns.

     Note: Data will be removed from all columns, even if you don’t select all the columns at this step. For example, if you select Column1 and Column2, but not Column3, then the “key” used to find duplicates is the value of BOTH Column1 & Column2.  If a duplicate is found in those columns, then the entire row will be removed, including other columns in the table or range.

4. Click OK, and a message will appear to indicate how many duplicate values were removed, or how many unique values remain. Click OK to dismiss this message.

5. Undo the change by click Undo (or pressing Ctrl+Z on the keyboard).

Note: You cannot conditionally format fields in the Values area of a PivotTable report by unique or duplicate values.

Quick formatting

Follow these steps:

1. Select one or more cells in a range, table, or PivotTable report.

2. On the Home tab, in the Style group, click the small arrow for Conditional Formatting, and then click Highlight Cells Rules, and select Duplicate Values.
   

3. Enter the values that you want to use, and then choose a format.

Advanced formatting

Follow these steps:

1. Select one or more cells in a range, table, or PivotTable report.

2. On the Home tab, in the Styles group, click the arrow for Conditional Formatting, and then click Manage Rules to display the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager popup window.
   

3. Do one of the following:

   • To add a conditional format, click New Rule to display the New Formatting Rule popup window.

   • To change a conditional format, begin by ensuring that the appropriate worksheet or table has been chosen in the Show formatting rules for list. If necessary, choose another range of cells by clicking Collapse button in the Applies to popup window temporarily hide it. Choose a new range of cells on the worksheet, then expand the popup window again . Select the rule, and then click Edit rule to display the Edit Formatting Rule popup window.

4. Under Select a Rule Type, click Format only unique or duplicate values.

5. In the Format all list of Edit the Rule Description, choose either unique or duplicate.

6. Click Format to display the Format Cells popup window.

7. Select the number, font, border, or fill format that you want to apply when the cell value satisfies the condition, and then click OK. You can choose more than one format. The formats that you select are displayed in the Preview panel.

In Excel for the web, you can remove duplicate values.

Remove duplicate values

When you remove duplicate values, the only effect is on the values in the range of cells or table. Other values outside the range of cells or table will not change or move. When duplicates are removed, the first occurrence of the value in the list is kept, but other identical values are deleted.

Important: You can always click Undo to get back your data after you have removed the duplicates. That being said, it’s a good idea to copy the original range of cells or table to another worksheet or workbook before removing duplicate values.

Follow these steps:

1. Select the range of cells, or ensure that the active cell is in a table.

2. On the Data tab, click Remove Duplicates .

3. In the Remove Duplicates dialog box, unselect any columns where you don’t want to remove duplicate values.

   Note: Data will be removed from all columns, even if you don’t select all the columns at this step. For example, if you select Column1 and Column2, but not Column3, then the “key” used to find duplicates is the value of BOTH Column1 & Column2.  If a duplicate is found in Column1 and Column2, then the entire row will be removed, including data from Column3.

4. Click OK, and a message will appear to indicate how many duplicate values were removed. Click OK to dismiss this message.

Note: If you want to get back your data, simply click Undo (or press Ctrl+Z on the keyboard).

Need more help?

You can always ask an expert in the Excel Tech Community or get support in the Answers community.

See Also

Count unique values among duplicates

Author: Oscar Cronquist Article last updated on February 22, 2023

First, let me explain the difference between unique values and unique distinct values, it is important you know the difference so you can find the information you are looking for on this web page.

The picture above shows a list of values in column B, note value AA has a duplicate. Unique distinct values are all cell values but duplicate values are merged into one distinct value. In other words, duplicates are removed only one instance of each value is left in the list.

Column F contains unique values from column B, meaning values that exist only once in column B. Value AA is not in column F because it has a duplicate, in other words, AA is not unique in column B. To filter duplicates, read this post: Extract a list of duplicates from a column

What is possible with formulas?

You have quite a few options to choose from if you are looking for a way to create a unique distinct list in your workbook, all demonstrated in this post or on this website. Not only an exceptionally small regular formula, if you want to use that, but also awesome built-in features in Excel that makes your work so much easier.

Formulas are very versatile, they allow you to build solutions for very specific tasks like filtering unique distinct values from two separate columns or three. If your list contains blanks then this article is for you: Extract a unique distinct list and remove blanks

Perhaps you want to do a wildcard lookup and return unique distinct values or simply return unique distinct values based on a condition.

I have also written articles that explains how to create a unique distinct list sorted alphabetically, sum or frequency.

There is also a formula for extracting unique distinct values located in a multi-column cell range, it is a somewhat more complicated array formula, however, there is a custom function as well, if you prefer that.

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What is the easiest way to filter unique distinct values?

I would choose the advanced filter if you are not looking for a formula. It lets you quickly filter a unique distinct list.

If you know that you will be extracting unique distinct values from time to time, like in a dashboard or an interactive worksheet, I recommend using a formula and an Excel defined table. You won’t need to repeat the same steps over and over compared to the advanced filter and that will save you time and repetitive work.

However working with a large data set may slow down the formula calculations considerably depending on your computer hardware, so perhaps the User Defined Function [UDF] is a better choice or even better a pivot table, if you have huge amounts of data to work with.

The Excel Pivot table is lightning fast even with huge data tables but it does have a little learning curve and it requires a few steps to set it up but in my opinion, it is totally worth learning how to use pivot tables. You will be surprised how easy it is to start working with Excel Pivot tables.

Conditional Formatting allows you to format cells determined by a built-in rule or a formula you construct. In this post, you will find a Conditional Formatting formula that highlights unique and unique distinct values. Did you know that you can easily sort highlighted values on top? Check out conditional formatting.

I have made an add-in that lets you extract unique, unique distinct and duplicate values and records from multiple worksheets. This allows you to easily bring together data from multiple sources in your workbook.

There is also a useful array formula in this article that extracts a case-sensitive unique distinct list, this is a special case which the built-in Excel tools can’t accomplish.

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1. Create a list of unique distinct values

Column B contains names, some cells have duplicate values.  A formula in column D extracts a unique distinct list from column B.

Update: 2017-08-15!

This formula is even smaller than the array formula and you are not required to enter this as an array formula. The following formula is for older Excel versions than Excel 365 subscribers.

Formula in cell D3:

=LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF($D$2:D2,$B$3:$B$21)=0),$B$3:$B$21)

I will explain how this formula works in the video below and in section 1.3 also below.

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Update: 2020-05-28!

Microsoft Excel released new functions for Excel 365 subscribers in January 2020. One of those new functions is the UNIQUE function, it allows you to easily extract a unique distinct list using only one function.

Formula in cell D3:

=UNIQUE(B3:B21)

This formula is entered as a regular formula, however, it is a dynamic array formula. Microsoft Excel introduced dynamic array formulas in January 2020 as well.

Dynamic array formulas expand to cells below automatically if more than one value is returned from the formula. Microsoft Excel calls this behavior spilling. You can find more example of the UNIQUE function here.

I will describe a formula for older Excel versions below.

Extract unique distinct values — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique distinct values sorted from A to Z — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique distinct values ignoring blanks — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique distinct values sorted from A to Z ignoring blanks — Excel 365 (Link)

1.1 Video

This video demonstrates how to use the formula:

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1.2 Copy unique distinct values

To copy unique distinct values to another location you must make sure you copy the values and not the formula:

1. Select list
2. Copy list, shortcut keys: CTRL + C or press this button:
3. Press with right mouse button on on destination cell and press with left mouse button on the black arrow next to «Paste Special…»
   
4. Then press with left mouse button on «Paste Values» button.

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1.3 Explaining formula in cell D3

Step 1 — Count previous values above the current cell

The COUNTIF function allows you to count values based on a condition. With the help from an expanding cell reference, the formula knows which of the values that have been extracted.

In cell D3 no values have been extracted so it compares the value in the cell above current cell, this happens to be the Header value. Make sure you don’t have a value in the list that matches the header value, it won’t be extracted.

COUNTIF($D$2:D2,$B$3:$B$21) is entered in column F, displayed in the picture below.

The value in cell D2 is not found in any instance in cell range B3:B21, all values in the array are 0 (zero). Note that the array has the same size as the list in column B, 19 values.

Step 2 — Compare array with 0 (zero)

To identify values that have not been shown the formula compares the array with 0 (zero) and the result are boolean values (TRUE or FALSE) for each value in the array.

COUNTIF($D$2:D2,$B$3:$B$21) = 0

The array contains 19 boolean values, all TRUE.

Step 3 — Divide 1 with array

The boolean value TRUE is equal to 1 and FALSE is equal to 0. If a value in the array is TRUE the result will be 1 because 1/TRUE equals 1.

If a value in the array is FALSE the result will be #DIV0! because 1/FALSE is 1/0 and you can’t divide a number with zero. Excel returns an error.

The good thing about the LOOKUP function is that it ignores errors, see next step.

Step 4 — LOOKUP value

The LOOKUP function is designed to work with sorted cell ranges or arrays, you get weird results if they are not sorted. Be careful using the LOOKUP function.

However, in this case, the values in the array are either 1 or #DIV0!. Surprisingly it ignores errors, the only thing it can find then is a value that is 1.

The first argument in the LOOKUP function is 2 so the function finds the last largest value that is equal to 2 or smaller.

LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF($D$2:D2,$B$3:$B$21)=0),$B$3:$B$21)

becomes

LOOKUP(2,{1;1;1;1;1;1;1;1;1; 1;1;1;1;1;1;1;1;1;1},$B$3:$B$21) and matches the last value in the array. LOOKUP function then returns the corresponding value in cell range $B$3:$B$21 which is Almagro, Nicolas

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1.4 Excel file

Extract a unique distinct list sorted from A to Z
Extract a unique distinct list sorted from A to Z ignore blanks
Vlookup – Return multiple unique distinct values
Unique distinct list sorted alphabetically based on a condition
Extract a unique distinct list from two columns
Extract a unique distinct list from three columns
Filter unique distinct records

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2. Extract a unique distinct list (case sensitive)

The following array formula lists unique distinct values from a list also considering upper and lower letters. For example, the value «Aa» is not equal to «AA».

Array formula in cell D3:

=INDEX($B$3:$B$15, MATCH(0, FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($D$2:D2)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15)), «»), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15))), 0))

Excel 365 subscribers can use this regular somewhat shorter formula in cell D3 than the formula below:

=LET(z, B3:B15, x, SEQUENCE(z), INDEX(z, MATCH(0, FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT(z, TRANSPOSE($D$2:D2)), x, «»), x), 0))

The formula above contains two new formulas: LET function and the SEQUENCE function.

This article explains the formula: Extract a case sensitive unique list from a column — Excel 365

2.1 Video

This video demonstrates how to build a formula that extracts a case-sensitive unique distinct list:

This post shows you how to extract a case sensitive unique list from a column:

Recommended articles

How to enter an array formula

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2.2 Explaining the array formula in cell C3

Step 1 — Transpose previous values

TRANSPOSE($D$2:D2)

becomes

TRANSPOSE({«Unique distinct list (case sensitive)»;»Aa»})

and returns

{«Unique distinct list (case sensitive)»,»Aa»}

Note that the ; (semicolon) changes to a , (comma)

Recommended reading:

Recommended articles

Step 2 — Check if two text strings are exactly the same, also case sensitive 

EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($D$2:D2))

becomes

EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE({«Unique distinct list (case sensitive)»,»Aa»})

becomes

EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE({«Unique distinct list (case sensitive)»,»Aa»})

becomes

EXACT({«Aa»; «CC»; «AA»; «BB»; «BB»; «EE»; «bb»; «Aa»; «aa»}, TRANSPOSE({«Unique distinct list (case sensitive)»,»Aa»})

and returns

{FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE}

Step 3 — Return relative position in array if TRUE

IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($C$1:C1)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15))

becomes

IF({FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE}, MATCH(ROW($A$1:$A$9), ROW($A$1:$A$9)))

becomes

IF({FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, FALSE; FALSE, TRUE; FALSE, FALSE}, {1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9})

and returns

{FALSE,1; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,8; FALSE,FALSE}

Recommended article:

Recommended articles

Step 4 — Calculate how often values exist in an array

FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($C$1:C1)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15)), «»), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15)))

becomes

FREQUENCY({FALSE,1; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,8; FALSE,FALSE},MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15),ROW($B$3:$B$15)))

becomes

FREQUENCY({FALSE,1; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,FALSE; FALSE,8; FALSE,FALSE},{1;2;3;4;5;6;7;8;9})

and returns

{1;0;0;0;0;0;0;1;0;0} Aa is found in position 1 and 8 in cell range $B$3:$B$15

Recommended articles

Step 5 — Find first empty value (0) in array

MATCH(0, FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($C$1:C1)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15)), «»), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15))), 0)

becomes

MATCH(0, {1;0;0;0;0;0;0;1;0;0}, 0)

and returns 2.

Recommended articles

Step 6 — Return value from position 2

INDEX($B$3:$B$15, MATCH(0, FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$15, TRANSPOSE($C$1:C1)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15)), «»), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$15), ROW($B$3:$B$15))), 0))

becomes

INDEX($B$3:$B$15, 2)

and returns «CC» in cell C3.

Recommended articles

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2.3 Excel file

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Recommended articles

Case sensitive lookup and return multiple values
Filter values based on a condition — case sensitive (Excel 365)
Filter unique distinct values (case sensitive) [UDF]
Filter unique distinct records (case sensitive) [UDF]

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3. Extract unique distinct values [Advanced Filter]

First a little reminder, unique distinct values are all cell values but duplicate values are merged into one distinct value.

3.1 Video

The following video shows you how to filter unique distinct values using Advanced Filter:

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3.2 Instructions — Copy unique distinct values to another location

This section describes how to extract unique distinct values using the built-in feature «Advanced Filter».

1. Go to tab «Data» on the ribbon.
2. Press the «Advanced Filter» button on the ribbon.

   

3. Press button «Copy to another location».

   

4. Press «List range:» and select range to filter unique distinct values.
5. Press «Copy to: and select a range.
6. Press «Unique records only» button to select it.
7. Press with left mouse button on «OK» button to apply settings and start extracting.

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3.3 Instructions — Filter unique distinct values, in place

If you choose to filter unique distinct values in-place, press with left mouse button on the first option button in the dialog box.

You can then select unique distinct values and paste to another location, duplicate values are hidden and are ignored when you copy cell range B3:21 and paste to a new location, very useful.

The picture below shows you the selected distinct values after I cleared the Advanced Filter, duplicate values are not selected because they were hidden.

Recommended articles

Lookup and return multiple values [Advanced Filter]
Extract all rows that meet critera in one column [Advanced Filter] 

An Advanced Filter is not the only powerful built-in feature in Excel, I highly recommend that you learn pivot tables. Perhaps the most powerful tool but also the least known:

Recommended articles

The Excel defined table is also extremely useful, it allows you to quickly sort, filter and manipulate data. Learn that and much more:

Recommended articles

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4. Highlight unique distinct values [Conditional Formatting]

This section demonstrates how to highlight unique distinct values using Excel’s built-in feature «Conditional Formatting».

The image shows you unique distinct values highlighted using Conditional Formatting.

4.1 Video

This video demonstrates how to highlight unique distinct values:

How to highlight unique distinct values

1. Select cell range B3:B21.
2. Go to tab «Home» on the ribbon.
3. Press on «Conditional Formatting» button.
   
4. Press on «New Rule…».
   
5. Press on «Use a formula to determine which cells to format:».
6. Type this formula: =COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3)=1
7. Press on «Format…» button.
8. Pick a color.
9. Press OK button.
10. Press OK button again.

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4.2 Explaining Conditional Formatting formula

A CF formula works somewhat differently than a regular formula, however, they may be harder to spot.

It is possible that you can’t even see if a cell range has CF applied to it or not, if no cells are highlighted.

I recommend that you copy the CF formula and enter it to an adjacent column to better show how they work.

Step 1 — COUNTIF function

The COUNTIF function has two arguments, the first argument is the cell range you want to count a specific value in. The second argument is the value you want to count.

COUNTIF(range, criteria)

Step 2 — COUNTIF arguments

The first argument uses both relative and absolute cell references, $B$3:B3. The absolute part has dollar signs $B$3 meaning it does not change when the Conditional Formatting formula is applied to the next cell.

The relative part B3 does change when the Conditional Formatting formula is applied to the next cell.

COUNTIF($B$3:B3, B3)

Step 3 — Demonstrate calculations in cells B3 and B4

In cell B3 the function is COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3)

and in cell B4: COUNTIF($B$3:B4,B4) and so on.

This technique using growing cell references lets you highlight the first instance of a value but not duplicate values.

Step 4 — Compare output to 1

How do we know if the value is a unique distinct value? Compare COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3) to 1 and it will return TRUE or FALSE, like this:

COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3)=1

The equal sign is a logical operator that returns TRUE or FALSE. Note, the comparison is not case sensitive. The output is a boolean value TRUE or FALSE.

COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3)=1

becomes

1=1

and returns boolean value TRUE. Cell B3 is highlighted.

If COUNTIF($B$3:B3,B3) returns a number larger than 1 meaning there is at least a duplicate value in the cell range specified in the first argument. That prevents the Conditional Formatting formula from highlighting the cell.

Recommended articles
Highlight unique/duplicates
Highlight current date
Highlight lookup values
Highlight cells equal to

4.3 Sort Conditional formatted cells at the top

Tip! Press with right mouse button on on a highlighted cell, press with left mouse button on Sort and then on «Put Selected Cell Color On top» to arrange unique distinct values at the very top of your list.

The picture below shows you all unique distinct values sorted together.

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5. Hide duplicate values [Conditional Formatting]

The image above demonstrates Conditional Formatting applied to a list of values, it changes the font color to white for duplicate values making them invisible or they appear hidden.

Keep in mind that the text is still there so if you copy the range and paste the values to a new range the hidden values are visible again. I recommend that you sort the visible values at the top in order to copy them correctly, instructions below.

Conditional Formatting formula:

=COUNTIF($B$3, B3)>1

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How to apply conditional formatting formula to cell range B3:B21

1. Select cell range B3:B21.
2. Go to tab «Home» on the ribbon.
3. Press with left mouse button on the «Conditional Formatting» button.
4. Press with left mouse button on «New Rule…»
   
5. Press with left mouse button on «Use a formula to determine which cells to format:».
   
6. Type the Conditional Formatting formula in «Format values where this is true:».
7. Press with left mouse button on «Format…» button.
   
8. Go to tab «Font» on the menu, see image above.
9. Press with left mouse button on color drop-down list.
10. Pick white.
11. Press with left mouse button on OK button.
12. Press with left mouse button on OK button.
13. Press with left mouse button on OK button.

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6. How to sort unique distinct values at the top of the list

1. Press with right mouse button on on one of the visible values in the list.
   
2. Press with left mouse button on «Filter»
3. Press with left mouse button on «Filter by Selected Cell’s Font color.

Recommended articles
Highlight unique values and unique distinct values in a multi-column cell range
Highlight unique distinct records
Highlight unique values in a filtered excel table
How to highlight duplicate values in a column
Check out the Conditional formatting category

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7. Extract unique distinct sorted values from a cell range [UDF]

This UDF lets you create and sort a unique distinct list. First you need to copy the VBA code to your workbook, instructions below. Second, select a cell range. Third, type FilterUniqueSort(cell_ref) in the formula bar. Last, enter formula as an array formula, instructions below.

There is also a workbook for you to get.

Array formula in cell B2:B8212:

=FilterUniqueSort($A$2:$A$8212)

7.1 Video

This video explains how to implement and use the User Defined Function

7.2 How to create an array formula

1. Type B2:B8212 in name box
2. Type above array formula in formula bar
   
3. Press and hold Ctrl + Shift
4. Press Enter once
5. Release all keys

Recommended reading

Recommended articles

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7.3 VBA code

I am using the selection sort function to sort values. You can read more about the function here:

Using a Visual Basic Macro to Sort Arrays in Microsoft Excel

'Name User Defined Function and define paremeter
Function FilterUniqueSort(rng As Range)

'Dimension variables and declare data types
Dim ucoll As New Collection, Value As Variant, temp() As Variant
Dim iRows As Single, i As Single

'Redimension array variable
ReDim temp(0)

'Enable error handling
On Error Resume Next

'Iterate through each value in range
For Each Value In rng

'Check if number of characters in value is greater than 0 (zero), if true add value to collection ucoll
If Len(Value) > 0 Then ucoll.Add Value, CStr(Value)

'Continue with next value
Next Value

'Disable error handling
On Error GoTo 0

'Iterate through each value in collection ucoll
For Each Value In ucoll

'Save value to last container in array variable temp
temp(UBound(temp)) = Value

'Add new container to array variable temp
ReDim Preserve temp(UBound(temp) + 1)

'Next value
Next Value

'Remove last container in array variable temp
ReDim Preserve temp(UBound(temp) - 1)

'Save selected rows on worksheet to variable iRows
iRows = Range(Application.Caller.Address).Rows.Count

'Start User Defined Function SelectionSort with values in array variable temp
SelectionSort temp

'Add blanks to array variable temp to prevent error values on worksheet
For i = UBound(temp) To iRows

'Add container
ReDim Preserve temp(UBound(temp) + 1)

'Save blank to container
temp(UBound(temp)) = ""

'Continue with next value
Next i

'Transpose values in array variable temp and return those values to worksheet
FilterUniqueSort = Application.Transpose(temp)

End Function

'Name User Defined Function (UDF) and define parameters
Function SelectionSort(TempArray As Variant)
'This UDF sorts values in an array
'https://www.get-digital-help.com/how-to-extract-a-unique-list-and-the-duplicates-in-excel-from-one-column/#7.3

          'Dimension variables and declare data types
          Dim MaxVal As Variant
          Dim MaxIndex As Integer
          Dim i As Integer, j As Integer
          
          'Iterate through each value in array variable temp starting from last to first
          For i = UBound(TempArray) To 0 Step -1

              'Save value to variable MaxVal
              MaxVal = TempArray(i)

              'Save value stored in variable i to variable MaxIndex
              MaxIndex = i

              'Iterate through each value in array variable temp
              For j = 0 To i

                  'Check if value in array variable TempArray is larger than value stored in variable MaxVal
                  'Excel can compare text values as well, this action checks if a text value is before or after another value in a sorted list 
                  If TempArray(j) > MaxVal Then

                      'If true save value to variable MaxVal
                      MaxVal = TempArray(j)

                      'Save position to MaxIndex
                      MaxIndex = j
                  End If

              'Continue with next value
              Next j

              'Check if number stored in variable MaxIndex is smaller than number stored in variable i
              If MaxIndex < i Then

                  'Save value in array variable TempArray position i to array variable TempArray container position MaxIndex
                  TempArray(MaxIndex) = TempArray(i)

                  'Save value in variable MaxVal to array variable TempArray container position i
                  TempArray(i) = MaxVal
              End If
          Next i

      End Function

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7.4 Where to copy VBA code?

1. Press Alt + F11 to open VB Editor
2. Press with left mouse button on «Insert» on the menu
3. Press with left mouse button on «Module» to create a module
4. Copy (Ctrl + c) above VBA code and paste (Ctrl +v)  to the code module

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More powerful User Defined Functions

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8. Filter unique distinct values from multiple sheets add-in

Filter unique distinct values is an add-in for Excel 2007/2010/2013 that lets you extract

• unique distinct values
• duplicate values
• unique distinct records
• duplicate records

from multiple sheets. The Add-In contains 4 user-defined functions.

If a value in one of the ranges changes the function will automatically and instantly update the list.

Features

• All user-defined functions remove blank values and blank records.
• No error values when all values are extracted.
• Filter values or records from up to 255 different cell ranges or sheets.

8.1 Watch this video where I demonstrate the Excel Add-In

What are unique distinct values?

What are unique distinct records?

Questions

Is there a money back guarantee?
Sure, you have a unconditional money back guarantee for 14 days.

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9. Create a list of unique distinct values [Old array Formula]

I recommend using the regular formula above since it is smaller and has an advantage of not being an array formula.

Array formula in cell D3:

=INDEX($B$3:$B$21, MATCH(0, COUNTIF($D$2:D2, $B$3:$B$21), 0))

Thanks to Eero, who contributed the original array formula!

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The formulas above has an issue with blank cells, it returns a 0 (zero) in your list. This article shows you how to ignore blanks:

Recommended articles

9.1 How to create an array formula

You don’t need to follow these steps if you chose the regular formula.

1. Copy the array formula above (Ctrl + c)
2. Double press with left mouse button on cell B2
3. Paste (Ctrl + v)
4. Press and hold Ctrl + Shift simultaneously
5. Press Enter
6. Release all keys

If you made the above steps correctly the formula now has a beginning and ending curly bracket, like this:
{=INDEX($B$3:$B$21, MATCH(0, $D$2:D2, $B$3:$B$21), 0))}

Don’t enter these characters yourself, they appear automatically.

Copy cell B2 and paste to cells below as far as needed.

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9.2 How the array formula in cell B2 works

Step 1 — Create an array with the same size as the list

The COUNTIF function calculates the number of cells equal to a condition.

COUNTIF(range, criteria)

COUNTIF($B$1:B1, $A$2:$A$20)

becomes

COUNTIF(«Unique distinct list»,{Federer,Roger; Djokovic,Novak; Murray,Andy; Davydenko,Nikolay; Roddick,Andy; DelPotro,JuanMartin; Federer,Roger; Davydenko,Nikolay; Verdasco,Fernando; Gonzalez,Fernando; Wawrinka,Stanislas; Gonzalez,Fernando; Blake,James; Nalbandian,David; Robredo,Tommy; Wawrinka,Stanislas; Cilic,Marin; Stepanek,Radek; Almagro,Nicolas} )

and returns:

{0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0}

This means the cell value in $B$1:B1 can’t be found in any of the cells in cell range $A$2:$A$20. If it had been found, somewhere in the array the number 1 would exist.

Step 2 — Return the position  of an item that matches 0 (zero)

The MATCH function returns the relative position of an item in an array that matches a specified value.

MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type]

MATCH(0, COUNTIF($B$1:B1, $A$2:$A$20), 0)

becomes

MATCH(0,{0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0},0)

and returns 1.

Step 3 — Return a cell value

The INDEX function returns a value or reference of the cell at the intersection of a particular row and column, in a given range.

INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])

INDEX($B$3:$B$21, 1)

becomes

=INDEX({Federer,Roger; Djokovic,Novak; Murray,Andy; Davydenko,Nikolay; Roddick,Andy; DelPotro,JuanMartin; Federer,Roger; Davydenko,Nikolay; Verdasco,Fernando; Gonzalez,Fernando; Wawrinka,Stanislas; Gonzalez,Fernando; Blake,James; Nalbandian,David; Robredo,Tommy; Wawrinka,Stanislas; Cilic,Marin; Stepanek,Radek; Almagro,Nicolas}, 1)

and returns «Federer, Roger».

Relative and absolute cell references

When you copy the array formula down the countif formula range ($B$1:B1) expands. This is created by using relative and absolute references.

The first cell, B2: COUNTIF($B$1:B1,$A$2:$A$20)

Second cell, B3: COUNTIF($B$1:B2,$A$2:$A$20)

and so on.

Recommended reading:

Recommended articles

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10. How to filter unique values from a list

Unique values are values existing only once in a list. Example, «AA» exists twice in the list below and is not unique. BB and CC exist only once each and are unique in the list.

Column D in the picture below filters all unique values from column B. Unique values are values that exist only once in column B.

Example, Roger, Federer is not in column D because there is more than one value of this name in column A. In other words, the name is not unique in column A. You can find the name twice in the list, in cells A2 and A8.

Update 2017-08-30 
This formula is even smaller than the array formula and you are not required to enter this as an array formula.

Regular formula in cell D3:

=LOOKUP(2, 1/((COUNTIF(D2:$D$2, $B$3:$B$21)=0)*(COUNTIF($B$3:$B$21, $B$3:$B$21)=1)), $B$3:$B$21)

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How to extract a case sensitive unique list from a column
Filter unique values sorted from A to Z
Extract unique values from two columns

Update 2020-12-09, the formula below extracts unique values from cell range $B$3:$B$21:

Regular formula in cell D3:

=UNIQUE($B$3:$B$21,,TRUE)

The formula above contains the new UNIQUE function that only Excel 365 subscribers can use. Use the formula above if you have an earlier Excel version.

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Extract unique values — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique values sorted from A to Z — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique values ignoring blanks — Excel 365 (Link)
Extract unique values sorted from A to Z ignoring blanks — Excel 365 (Link)

Array formula in cell D3:

=INDEX($B$3:$B$21, MATCH(0, COUNTIF(D2:$D$2, $B$3:$B$21)+(COUNTIF($B$3:$B$21, $B$3:$B$21)<>1), 0))

How to enter an array formula

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10.1 Explaining array formula in cell D3

Step 1 — Count each value in array and check if it is not equal to one

(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$20, $A$2:$A$20)<>1

becomes

{2;1;1;2;1;1;2;2;1;2;2;2;1;1;1;2;1;1;1}<>1

and returns

{TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; FALSE}

This array tells excel that the first value in the array is not unique and that is true because Roger, Federer is not unique in the list. However the second value is FALSE and that value is unique, etc.

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Step 2 — Keep track of previous values

C1:$C$1 is a dynamic cell reference, it changes as the formula is copied to cells below. You can read more about absolute and relative cell references here:

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COUNTIF(C1:$C$1, $A$2:$A$20)

becomes

COUNTIF(«Unique list», {«Federer, Roger «; «Djokovic, Novak «; «Murray, Andy «; «Davydenko, Nikolay «; «Roddick, Andy «; «Del Potro, Juan Martin «; «Federer, Roger «; «Davydenko, Nikolay «; «Verdasco, Fernando «; «Gonzalez, Fernando «; «Wawrinka, Stanislas «; «Gonzalez, Fernando «; «Blake, James «; «Nalbandian, David «; «Robredo, Tommy «; «Wawrinka, Stanislas «; «Cilic, Marin «; «Stepanek, Radek «; «Almagro, Nicolas «})

and returns

{0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0}

A zero (0) means that no values have yet been displayed and that is true in cell C2. However when excel calculates the value in cell C3, cell C2 shows «Djokovic, Novak» and the array becomes {0; 1; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0}. The second value in the array contains 1. This tells excel that value has already been shown.

Step 3 — Add arrays

COUNTIF(C1:$C$1, $A$2:$A$20)+(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$20, $A$2:$A$20)<>1

becomes

{TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; TRUE; TRUE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; FALSE; TRUE; FALSE; FALSE; FALSE} + {0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0; 0}

and returns

{1;0;0;1;0;0;1;1;0;1;1;1;0;0;0;1;0;0;0}

TRUE is 1 and FALSE is zero. So True + 0 equals 1 and False + 1 equals 1.

Step 4 — Find first zero value in array

A zero in the array indicates {1;0;0;1;0;0;1;1;0;1;1;1;0;0;0;1;0;0;0} that the corresponding value is unique and has not yet been displayed in the list.

MATCH(0, COUNTIF(C1:$C$1, $A$2:$A$20)+(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$20, $A$2:$A$20)<>1), 0)

becomes

MATCH(0, {1;0;0;1;0;0;1;1;0;1;1;1;0;0;0;1;0;0;0}, 0)

and returns 2.

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Step 5 — Return corresponding value

INDEX($A$2:$A$20, MATCH(0, COUNTIF(C1:$C$1, $A$2:$A$20)+(COUNTIF($A$2:$A$20, $A$2:$A$20)<>1), 0))

becomes

INDEX($A$2:$A$20, 2)

and returns «Djokovic, Novak» in cell C2.

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10.2 Get Excel file

To extract duplicates, see this post:

Recommended articles

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11. Highlight unique values [Conditional Formatting]

This example demonstrates how to highlight cells with a color of your choice if it contains a unique value.

11.1 Video

The following video shows you how to color unique values using conditional formatting. Remember, it highlights only unique values, in other words, values that exist only once in the list.

Instructions

1. Go to tab «Home» on the ribbon
   
2. Press with left mouse button on «Conditional Formatting» button
3. Hover over «Highlight Cell Rules»
4. Press with mouse on «Duplicate Values…»
   
5. Press with mouse on the leftmost drop-down list and change it to «Unique»
6. Pick a formatting if you like
7. Press with left mouse button on OK button

The picture above shows you, for example, that the first name in the list has a duplicate so that name is not highlighted in any cell.

11.2 Sort unique values at the top

Tip! Did you know that you can put highlighted values to the top

1. Press with right mouse button on on a highlighted cell
   
2. Press with mouse on «Sort»
3. Press with mouse on «Put Selected Cell Color On Top»

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12. Useful tips

12.1 Excel tables

An Excel Table is a great feature and is very cleverly designed. It is constructed to automatically expand if you add more data which is incredibly helpful. You don’t need to do anything, not adjusting cell references which is time consuming and prone to errors.

Structured references are cell references to an excel defined table. They let you easily see what the data contains as long as you give it good descriptive column header names.

I recommend you use excel defined tables instead of named ranges or dynamic named ranges as long as you are working with more than one value.

Here is how to convert a list to an excel defined table:

1. Select a cell in your list
2. Go to tab «Insert» on the ribbon and press with left mouse button on Table button or press Ctrl + T
3. Press with left mouse button on OK button
4. Your excel defined table is created

Read more about excel defined tables

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12.2 Named ranges

In excel you can name a cell range, a constant or a formula. You can then use the named range in a formula, making it easier for you to read and understand formulas.

Example

List : A2:A20

Tip! Use dynamic named ranges to automatically adjust cell ranges when new values are added or removed.

12.2.1 How to create a named range

The downside with named ranges is that you need to adjust the range every time you add or delete a value in the list, the named range will then not fit the value list. I recommend using excel defined tables if you know that the list may change in the future.

1. Select cell range B3:B7
2. Type Color in name box
3. Press Enter

Formula example containing name range:

=INDEX(Color,MATCH(0,COUNTIF($C$2:C2,Color),0))

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13. How to remove errors (Excel 2007)

Excel 2007 users (and later versions) can remove errors using IFERROR() function.

When the formula runs out of values it returns #N/A errors (Not Available), you can use the IFERROR function to remove the error and return blanks in those cells.

Unfortunately, it comes with a big disadvantage, it also removes other formula errors as well. So use this with great caution. If your source table has errors you won’t detect it because the IFERROR function returns a blank cell instead.

Array formula in cell D2:

=IFERROR(LOOKUP(2, 1/(COUNTIF($D$2:D2, $B$3:$B$21)=0), $B$3:$B$21), «»)

and copy it down as far as necessary.

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Recommended articles

How to use the IFERROR function
How to use the ISERROR function
How to use the ERROR.TYPE function
How to find errors in a worksheet
Delete blanks and errors in a list

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14. Excel 2003 users can remove errors using isna() function:

=IF(ISNA(INDEX($A$2:$A$20, MATCH(0, COUNTIF($B$1:B1, $A$2:$A$20), 0))), «», INDEX($A$2:$A$20, MATCH(0, COUNTIF($B$1:B1, $A$2:$A$20), 0)))

and copy it down as far as needed.

This formula is an array formula, how to enter an array formula.

Recommended article

• ISNA function

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15. How to ignore blank cells in a range

Harlan Grove created a formula to count unique distinct values from a list with blanks. I used the same technique here to filter unique distinct values in column D.

If you want a header name you can use the slightly larger formula, displayed in column F below.

Update 2020-12-09, Excel 365 users can use this regular formula:

=UNIQUE(FILTER($B$3:$B$21, ($B$3:$B$21<>»») * ($B$3:$B$21<>»»)))

The formula below is actually 58 character while the new Excel 365 formula above is 61 characters, space characters not included. You can find a formula explanation here: Extract unique distinct values ignoring blanks

Use the formula below if you have an earlier Excel version than Excel 365.

Update 2017-09-01, smaller regular formula in cell D3:

=LOOKUP(2, 1/(COUNTIF($D$2:D2, $B$3:$B$21&»»)=0), $B$3:$B$21)

Formula in cell F3 if you need a column header name:

=LOOKUP(2, 1/((COUNTIF($F$2:F2, $B$3:$B$21)+($B$3:$B$21=»»))=0), $B$3:$B$21)

15.1 Watch a video where I explain how these two formulas work

This article shows you how to fill blank cells with values or formulas

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Learn how to extract non-blank cells in a list using a formula:

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15.2 Get Excel file

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The Excel team recently announced new dynamic array formulas, which can create unique lists, sort and filter with a simple formula. These new formulas are being rolled out to Office 365 subscribers over the next few months. However, not everybody has the subscription and will upgrade when it is sensible for their business, often combining it with a hardware refresh. Therefore, it could be 6 or more years before enough users have the new functionality to use it safely and ensure compatibility. So how can we list duplicate values, or unique values in Excel using traditional Excel methods? We will cover that in this post.

COUNTIF is an untapped powerhouse for most Excel users. Counting cells which meet specific criteria may not seem particularly useful, but when combined with other functions, and boolean (true/false) logic, it creates new capabilities you never thought possible.

This post looks at one aspect of this and considers how to use the COUNTIF function to create and compare lists to check for duplicate or unique values. We’ll start with some basic scenarios and slowly layer on the complexity until we achieve some advanced formula magic.

Comparing two unique lists

The COUNTIF function can be used to compare two lists and return the number of items within both lists.

Let’s look at an example. In the screenshot below there is a list of students from St John’s school (Cells A2 – A7) and a list of students who attended a specific exam (Cells B2-B6). We have been asked to identify the number of individuals who are on both lists (i.e., how many from St John’s school attended the exam).

The formula in Cell E2 is:

{=SUM(COUNTIF(A2:A7,B2:B6))}

Usually, COUNTIF will count the number of items from a list which meet a single criteria. In this case, we have not provided a single criteria, but have used a range of cells. As we have not used any logic operators, such as greater than ( > ), Excel by default, applies equals ( = ) as it’s logic operator. This formula will therefore, compare each cell in the Range B2 – B6 to identify if it is equal to any cells in the Range A2 – A7.

In this example, there are multiple calculations all occurring within the same formula. Calculation 1 compares Cell B2 to Cells A2:A7, calculation 2 compares Cell B3 to Cells A2:A7, etc etc. In total there are 5 separate results all calculated at the same time; this type of formula is known as an array formula.

The COUNTIF function will calculate down as follows:

{=SUM({1;0;1;1;0})}

Notice how all 5 results are shown, each separated by a semi-colon. By wrapping this within the SUM function it will add the list of 1’s and 0’s, which is the number of items which appear on both lists.

As this is an array formula do not type the curly bracket at the start or end of the formula, Excel will include these itself when you press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to enter the formula into the cell or formula bar.

If we wanted to avoid pressing the Ctrl + Shift + Enter, we could use the SUMPRODUCT function, rather than the SUM function. The formula in Cell E4 is:

=SUMPRODUCT(COUNTIF(A2:A7,B2:B6))

SUMPRODUCT is a special function which can handle arrays without the need for Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

Usually, SUMPRODUCT is used to multiply cells or numbers together then add the results of the multiplications. In the way we are using it, there is no multiplication occurring within the SUMPRODUCT function, so it will just sum the result.

Comparing lists with duplicates

In the example above, both lists are unique, but what if one of the lists contains duplicates? In this scenario, the result of the formula would be incorrect. I have expanded the example to include duplicates for two Exam Attendees (see screenshot below), Lucy King and Billy Thompson now appear twice in column B. The result of the previous calculation is shown in cells E2 and E4. The result of which is incorrectly calculated as 5. The result has increased by 2 due to the duplicate values.

When working with unique data it does not matter which list is used in each argument of the COUNTIF function. However, when there are duplicates the first range in the function must be the range containing the duplicates and the second range containing the unique values. Please note this change within the examples for the remainder of this post.

Count unique items

The formula in Cell E6 is:

{=SUM(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)>=1))}

This formula is an extension of the example in the section above, but it adds some additional complexity. Let’s take some time to understand how it works.

A logic test has been added to the formula so that only items where the count is >=1 (i.e., unique values) are included.

{=SUM(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)>=1))}

This logic statement will calculate to TRUE or FALSE.

{=SUM(--({FALSE;TRUE;TRUE;FALSE;FALSE;TRUE}))}

It is not possible to use SUM on TRUE or FALSE values. These will need to be converted into values of 1 for TRUE or 0 for FALSE to enable the SUM function to work. There are two options for this:

• Multiply TRUE/FALSE values by 1
• Multiply TRUE/FALSE values by – – (minus, minus).

On our example, I have opted to use the double minus method. Now the formula has calculates down as follows:

{=SUM({0;1;1;0;0;1})}

The SUM function will return the value of 3, which is correct.

If we wanted to avoid Ctrl + Shift + Enter, SUMPRODUCT is an option, as shown in Cell E8:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)>=1))

Count duplicates

By applying the same formulas, but changing the logic threshold we can calculate the number of duplicate values.

The formula in Cell E10 is:

{=SUM(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)>=2))}

As the logic statement requires values greater than or equal to 2, it will only count the duplicates.

Again we can use SUMPRODUCT to avoid pressing Ctrl + Shift + Enter, as shown in Cell E12:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)>=2))

Count unmatched items

The final measure of interest may be the number of items not matching either list. For this, the logic statement changes again to show only the items where the count is equal to zero.

The formula in Cell E14 is:

={SUM(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)=0))}

The non-Ctrl + Shift + Enter version in Cell E16 is:

=SUMPRODUCT(--(COUNTIF(B2:B8,A2:A7)=0))

Extract a list of unique values

Using this concept of comparing two lists with COUNTIF, we can not only count unique values, but also extract a list of unique values.

The example data has now changed. Column A contains a list of students who attended an exam, but it contains duplicates. We will use this data to create a unique list of value, as shown in Column B.

The formula in Cell B3 is:

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,COUNTIF(B2:B$2,A$2:A$16),0)),"")}

This is an array formula which requires Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

This formula uses what we have already learned about COUNTIF and expands it even further. Let’s explore this in more detail.

Understanding the formula

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,COUNTIF(B2:B$2,A$2:A$16),0)),"")}

Notice how the COUNTIF function includes a relative and an absolute cell reference to the row numbers within the first argument (B2:B$2), this ensures that when the function copies down the range of cell increases in size.

For this first cell there is nothing in our list of unique values (as the unique list is currently just the blank value in Cell B2), therefore the COUNTIF returns zeros for every result.

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,{0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0},0)),"")}

Next, we’ll look at the MATCH function.

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,{0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0;0},0)),"")}

This function returns the position of the first 0 using the exact match method. The result of the MATCH function is 1 because the first 0 is in the first position.

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,1),"")}

Next, the INDEX function will find the cell in the Range A2 – A16 which has a position of 1 (i.e., the first cell). This calculates down as follows:

{=IFERROR("Lucy King","")}

When using this formula, we do not have to know how many unique values there are as the IFERROR function ensures a blank is returned once the bottom of the unique list is reached.

Copy down the formula

Drag the formula in Cell B3 down to provide enough rows for the current data and any future growth.

It is difficult to appreciate this formula by looking only at the first result, therefore to get a better understanding of how this formula really works look at Cell B4.

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,COUNTIF(B$2:B3,A$2:A$16),0)),"")}

COUNTIF will now down calculate as follows:

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,{1;0;0;0;0;0;1;0;0;0;0;1;0;0;0},0)),"")}

There are now 1’s within the result. These occur each time the values in Cells B2 – B3 appear in Cells A2 – A16. When the MATCH function looks for 0’s it will now return the 2nd item in the list (which is the next unique item).

For the next example, check out Cell B6:

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,{1;1;1;0;0;0;1;0;0;0;0;1;1;0;0},0)),"")}

As more items are now included within the unique list (which has now grown to Cells B2 – B5) more 1’s will appear. The fourth item in the list is the first zero, so that value is returned.

As the formula copies down further there will be less 0’s remaining.

When there are no 0’s remaining (i.e., the list contains all the unique values) the MATCH function will return errors. These errors are captured by the IFERROR statement and turned into blank cells with two quotation marks (“”).

If you wish to avoid Ctrl + Shift + Enter, we cannot use SUMPRODUCT as before. Instead, we can use the INDEX function to process the array. The change required is highlighted below.

=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(0,INDEX(COUNTIF(B2:B$2,A$2:A$16),),0)),"")

Having looked at extracting a list of unique values, we now move on to consider extracting a list of duplicate values.

The formula in Cell D3 is so long that it is included on two lines below, but you can have it on a single line within Excel.

=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(1,
((COUNTIF(D2:D$2,A$2:A$16)=0)*(COUNTIF(A$2:A$16,A$2:A$16)>=2)),0)),"")

The differences to the unique formula in the section above are highlighted below:

{=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(1,
((COUNTIF(D2:D$2,A$2:A$16)=0)*(COUNTIF(A$2:A$16,A$2:A$16)>=2)),0)),"")}

The first COUNTIF function has changed to include a logic test for where the value equals 0. We know that 0 appears where the item does not already appear in the list. If it equals 0 the result will be TRUE, otherwise it will be FALSE.

The second COUNTIF function is comparing the source list to itself to count the number of instances of each value. Where the count is greater than or equal to 2 (i.e., it is a duplicate value) TRUE will be returned, otherwise it will return FALSE.

As we now have two lists of TRUE/FALSE we can multiply these together. Where there are two TRUE values (i.e., the value appears more than once in the master list and it does not already appear in our list of duplicates). the multiplication returns 1, all other values will contain a FALSE value, so will multiply to 0.

We change the MATCH function to find 1, rather than 0.

Drag this formula down, and we have created a list of duplicate values.

Once again, if you wish to avoid Ctrl + Shift + Enter, use the INDEX function to process the array. The change required is highlighted below.

=IFERROR(INDEX(A$2:A$16,MATCH(1,
INDEX(((COUNTIF(D2:D$2,A$2:A$16)=0)*(COUNTIF(A$2:A$16,A$2:A$16)>=2)),)
,0)),"")

Why use a complicated formula?

But there are plenty of other options for creating unique lists and identifying duplicates:

• Pivot Table
• Power Query
• Remove Duplicates from the Data Ribbon

Each of these options is easier to understand than the complex formulas we have created, so why bother them? Wouldn’t it be easier to use one of those other methods? Yes and No.

Those options all require either a macro or user interaction to work. For Pivot Tables and Power Query the user must “Refresh” the data. For Remove Duplicates, the user must manually remove the duplicates each time a change occurs.

A formula has one significant advantage; it can be completely dynamic and automatically update when the data changes. If the source data is either an Excel Table or a Dynamic Named Range the list of unique or duplicates can be updated even when new data is added is added to the source data. In my opinion, this makes it a much more usable solution.

Until we get the new dynamic array formulas are rolled out and well established, the methods above are probably these option available.

Conclusion

As we have seen, the simple COUNTIF function is significantly more powerful than most Excel users realize. By using a range as the criteria we were able to create an array formula which holds multiple calculations within a single cell. Then, when combined with INDEX and MATCH it is possible to list unique or list duplicate values.

Understanding how Excel handles TRUE/FALSE is a crucial part of creating advanced formulas within Excel.

Related Posts:

• UNIQUE function in Excel
• Understanding basic array formulas
• Dynamic arrays in Excel

Unique values are those that appear on a list just once.

When working with data in Excel, you will often come across datasets that have duplicates in the column and you will have to extract the unique values or items from that columns

In fact, it is one of the most common data cleaning tasks, as it helps remove duplicates, thereby saving memory space as well as processing time.

More importantly, by removing redundancy, it keeps the data organized and makes it easier to make inferences.

In this tutorial we will show you three ways to get unique values from a column in Excel:

• Using the Remove Duplicates tool
• Using the Advanced Filter tool
• Using the UNIQUE function (Excel 365 and later versions)

We will demonstrate each of the above methods by applying them to the following list of names:

Notice that the name John Smith appears three times in the above list, and the name Manuel Braun appears twice. So our aim here would be to only extract the unique names from this list (no repetitions).

Let’s see some simple ways to do this in Excel.

Using the Excel Remove Duplicates Tool to Get Unique Values from a Column

Excel has an in-built tool to instantly remove all the duplicate values and give you only the unique ones.

This is the simplest, quickest and so far, the most commonly used method to get unique values from a column.

Here are the steps to get unique values from our sample Names list:

1. Select the range of cells containing your list. In our example, select the range A2:A9
2. Click on the Data tab.
3. Click on the Remove Duplicates button (from the Data Tools group).

1. This opens the Remove Duplicates window.
2. Check all the settings and click on OK.

1. You should see a message box informing you about how many duplicate values were removed and how many unique values remain in your list.

1. Click OK.

You should now be left with a list of only unique values. 

Note that the names John Smith and Manuel Braun now appear just once in the list. 

Note: The Remove Duplicates tool directly applies changes to the selected data cells by deleting all the duplicate values. In other words, it affects your original data. So if you want to retain the original list, it’s a good idea to make a copy of the list and then apply the Remove Duplicates tool to it.

Also read: How to Generate Random Names in Excel

Using the Excel Advanced Filter Tool to Get Unique Values from a Column

The next method is also quite commonly used in removing duplicates.

It basically involves using an Advanced Filter tool to remove duplicates and display the list of unique values either in-place or in a new location.

Here are the steps to use the Advanced Filter to get unique values:

1. Select the range of cells containing your list. In our example, select the range A1:A9. Make sure you select the column header along with the data.
2. Click on the Data tab.
3. Click on the Advanced button (from the Sort & Filter group).

1. This opens the Advanced Filter dialog box.

1. If you want to remove duplicates from the original list, then check the radio button next to ‘Filter the list, in-place’. If you want to retain the original list and display the unique values in a new range of cells, then check the radio button next to ‘Copy to another location’. In this case, you will need to enter in the field next to ‘Copy to’ the reference to the first cell where you want the filtered list to appear. In our case, we specified the cell reference $B$1.

1. Make sure that the box next to ‘Unique records only’ is checked.

1. Click OK.

You should now see the list of only unique values from your original list in the cell location that you had specified.

Also read: How to Count Unique Values in Excel (5 Formulas Methods)

Using the UNIQUE Function to get Unique Values from a Column (Excel 365)

The UNIQUE function has been added to the Excel functions arsenal, just recently.

So, you can use this method only on Excel 365 (at this point in time).

The UNIQUE function simply takes a range of cells (or an array) and returns a list of unique values from this list. It also gives you the option to return just the unique values from the list or the list of distinct unique values. 

It’s a dynamic function, so it returns an array of values that ‘spill’ onto neighboring cells.

The syntax for the UNIQUE function is as follows:

UNIQUE (array, [by_col], [exactly_once])

Here,

• array is the array or range of cells from which you want to get the unique values
• by_col is a TRUE/FALSE or 0/1 value that specifies whether the function should extract unique values by rows or columns. By default, the value is FALSE (which means it extracts by row).
• exactly_once specifies if you want to extract values that are distinct and unique values or just unique. A value of FALSE (the default value) means that you want the list of values that appear at least once. A value of TRUE means that you want to remove all values that appear more than once (retaining only the values that don’t repeat).

Let us see how we can apply this function to get the unique values from our sample dataset:

1. Click on an empty cell in a new column (Make sure the column is empty, allowing space for the resulting array to spillover). In our example, we select cell B2.
2. Insert the following formula in the cell: =UNIQUE(A2: A9)
3. Press the return key.

You should now see only the unique values from the selected range displayed in column B.

If you want to display only the values that appear exactly once in the list, then you can specify the third parameter is TRUE, as shown below:

=UNIQUE(A2:A9,,TRUE)

Here’s the result that you will get in this case:

Unlike the first two methods, the result of the UNIQUE formula is dynamic. This means that in case your original data changes, then the result of the UNIQUE function will automatically update.

In this tutorial, we showed you 3 ways to get unique values from a column in Excel.

The first method uses the simple ‘Remove Duplicates’ tool which applies changes to the original range of cells. 

The second method uses the Advanced Filter, which lets you choose if you want to apply the tool to the original values or to a copy of the original values. 

The third method uses the dynamic UNIQUE function, which is quite flexible and easy to use but is only available in Excel 365 at this time.

We hope this tutorial was helpful for you.

Other articles you may also like:

• How to Remove Duplicate Rows based on one Column in Excel?
• 3 Easy Ways to Duplicate Sheet in Excel (Shortcuts + VBA)
• How to Find Duplicates in Excel (Conditional Formatting/ Count If/ Filter)
• How to Generate Random Numbers in Excel (Without Duplicates)
• How to Enter Sequential Numbers in Excel?
• How to Flip Data in Excel (Columns, Rows, Tables)?