How to Remove Duplicates in Google Sheets – Fast & Simple

This document provides a step-by-step process on how to efficiently remove duplicate entries in a Google Sheets document.
Follow these instructions to clean up your data and ensure that only unique entries remain in your table or sheet.

Google Sheets makes it easy to clean up your data by removing duplicate rows. Here's how:

Step-by-Step Instructions:

1. Select Your Data Range:

   • Highlight the cells or table containing the data you want to deduplicate.

2. Open the Remove Duplicates Tool:

   • Go to Data > Data cleanup > Remove duplicates.

3. Set Duplicate Criteria:

   • Select columns: Choose the specific columns to check for duplicates.

   • Header row: If your data includes a header, check "Data has header row" to exclude it from deduplication.

4. Remove Duplicates:

   • Click Remove duplicates. Google Sheets will process the data and eliminate any identical rows based on your selections.

5. Review Results:

   • A confirmation message will tell you how many duplicates were removed. Click OK to finish.

Step-by-Step Guide: How to remove duplicates in Google Sheets

Step 1

To begin removing duplicate entries in Google Sheets, first, select the table or sheet that contains the data you wish to clean. Identify and confirm the area where you would like to find and delete duplicates.

Step 2

From the top menu, navigate to the Data option.

Step 3

In the drop-down menu under Data, select Data Cleanup.

Step 4

Within the Data Cleanup options, choose Remove duplicates.

Step 5

Select the specific columns you want to analyze for duplicates, and then click on Remove duplicates to proceed.

Step 6

The process will conclude by displaying a summary, indicating the number of duplicate rows found and removed, ensuring that only unique rows remain.

Pro tips for removing duplicates in Google Sheets

1. Use the "Remove duplicates" feature: Go to the "Data" menu and select "Data cleanup," then choose "Remove duplicates" to automatically remove duplicates from the selected range.

2. Select the entire range: Make sure to highlight the entire range of data, including headers, before removing duplicates for more accurate results.

3. Use Conditional Formatting: To identify duplicates before removing them, use conditional formatting to highlight duplicate entries by choosing "Format" > "Conditional formatting."

Common pitfalls and how to avoid them for removing duplicate entries in Google Sheets

1. Accidentally deleting important data: Removing duplicates can unintentionally delete important data if the entire range is not properly selected. Fix: Double-check the range before applying the "Remove duplicates" feature.

2. Not including headers: If headers are not selected along with data, duplicates may not be identified correctly. Fix: Always include headers when selecting the range for removing duplicates.

3. Losing original data: Once duplicates are removed, you may lose the original data permanently. Fix: Make a copy of your data before removing duplicates to preserve the original version.

Common FAQs for removing duplicates in Google Sheets

1. How do I remove duplicates in Sheets?
   Highlight the data range, go to "Data" > "Data cleanup" > "Remove duplicates," and follow the prompts.

2. Can I keep the first entry when removing duplicates?
   Yes, by selecting "Data" > "Data cleanup" > "Remove duplicates," you can choose to keep the first occurrence of each entry.

3. How do I highlight duplicates before deleting them?
   Use "Format" > "Conditional formatting" to highlight duplicates in a range.

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