Easy Tech TutsHow to Remove Duplicates in Microsoft Excel 365 Easily 2026
By Impran M N
Messy customer lists and long tracking sheets often end up with repeated rows that skew your totals. Excel 365 gives you a few ways to handle this: visually flag duplicates first with conditional formatting, permanently strip them out with the built-in removal tool, or pull a clean list with the non-destructive UNIQUE function.
01Highlight duplicates visually first
Select your data column, go to Conditional Formatting on the Home tab, and choose Duplicate Values to color-code repeated entries before deleting anything.
02Use the Remove Duplicates tool
Click inside your data range, go to the Data tab, and select Remove Duplicates from the Data Tools section to permanently strip out repeated rows.
03Choose which columns define a duplicate
Keep the header checkbox checked, then decide whether to base duplicates on a single column like email, or match across the entire row.
04Review the cleanup summary
Confirm the removal and check the summary popup that tells you exactly how many duplicate rows were deleted.
05Try the non-destructive UNIQUE formula
In an empty cell, type the UNIQUE function referencing your full table range to spill out a separate, self-updating list of only the unique records.
Frequently asked questions
Will removing duplicates delete my original data permanently?
Yes, the Remove Duplicates tool permanently deletes rows, so it's worth saving a backup copy of your file before running it.
What's the difference between Remove Duplicates and UNIQUE?
Remove Duplicates permanently deletes rows in place, while UNIQUE creates a separate, non-destructive list that leaves your original data untouched.
Can I remove duplicates based on just one column?
Yes, when the Remove Duplicates dialog opens, you can uncheck columns you don't want considered, such as basing duplicates only on an email address column.
How do I preview duplicates before deleting anything?
Use Conditional Formatting's Duplicate Values rule first to visually highlight repeated rows so you can review them before running a permanent removal.
Watch the full walkthrough
The same steps, demonstrated on screen from start to finish.
