Easily clean up your datasets by learning how to find and remove duplicate rows in Google Sheets. This guide will walk you through the built-in feature to ensure your data is accurate and unique.
Click and drag to highlight the cells, columns, or the entire dataset you want to check for duplicates.
Go to the main menu at the top, click on Data, and then select Data cleanup from the dropdown menu.
From the Data cleanup submenu, click on Remove duplicates.
A dialog box will appear. Check the box for 'Data has header row' if applicable. Then, select the columns you want to analyze for duplicate entries.
Click the Remove duplicates button. Google Sheets will then delete the duplicate rows and show you a summary of how many were found and removed.
Tips for Managing Duplicates
Before removing duplicates, it's wise to create a copy of your sheet or data range. The removal process is permanent.
To review duplicates before deleting, use Conditional Formatting. Go to Format > Conditional formatting and use a custom formula like =COUNTIF(A:A,A1)>1 to highlight them.
For a non-destructive alternative, use the =UNIQUE(range) function in a new column to generate a list of unique values from your source data without altering it.
Inconsistent spacing or capitalization can prevent duplicates from being found. Use functions like TRIM() and LOWER() to standardize your data first.
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