How to find duplicates in a Sheets

Here's a more detailed breakdown:

Select the data range: Highlight the cells where you want to find duplicates. 
Open Conditional Formatting: Go to Format > Conditional formatting. 
Choose Custom Formula: Under "Format rules," select "Custom formula is". 
Enter the formula: Use the formula =COUNTIF(range, first_cell)>1
where:range is the entire range of cells you want to check (e.g., A:A for column A, or $A$2:$A$15 for a specific range). first_cell is the first cell within the selected range (e.g., A1 or A2). 
Customize the formatting: Choose the formatting style (e.g., highlight color) to make the duplicates stand out.
Click Done: This applies the rule and highlights the duplicates. 
Optional: Filter by color: You can further filter by the highlight color to easily view the duplicates. 
Optional: Remove duplicates: You can also use the "Data > Data cleanup > Remove duplicates" option to remove the highlighted duplicates. 

Step-by-Step-Guide: How to find duplicates in a Sheets

Step 1

Enter the data in the sheet,

Step 2

Then select the entire set of values,

Step 3

Then click on the format option,

Step 4

Click on the conditional Format option,

Step 5

Click on the drop-down menu,

Step 6

Select the Custom Formula option,

Step 7

Enter the formula =COUNTIF(A:A,A1)>1 to highlight duplicates in the spreadsheet.

Pro Tips for Finding Duplicates in Google Sheets

1. Open your spreadsheet
   Go to Google Sheets and open the document where you want to find duplicate entries.

2. Select the data range
   Highlight the column or range of cells where you want to check for duplicates. You can select an entire column like A:A or a specific range like A2:A100.

3. Use conditional formatting
   Go to the Format menu, choose Conditional formatting. In the sidebar, under Format cells if, choose “Custom formula is.”

4. Enter the formula for duplicates
   Type in the formula like =countif(A:A, A1)>1 if you're checking column A. This formula checks if any value appears more than once.

5. Choose formatting style
   Pick a fill color (such as light red) to highlight duplicates. This will visually mark all the cells that have repeated values.

6. Click “Done”
   Once you click Done, all duplicates in the selected range will be highlighted with the chosen format.

7. Use the Remove Duplicates tool (optional)
   If you want to delete duplicates, select your data range, click Data from the menu, and choose Data cleanup → Remove duplicates. Confirm your columns and click Remove duplicates.

8. Use formulas to extract duplicates
   Use formulas like =UNIQUE(A2:A) to get a list of unique values, or =FILTER(A2:A, COUNTIF(A2:A, A2:A)>1) to list duplicates.

9. Combine multiple columns for checking
   If you need to find duplicates across multiple columns, you can create a helper column combining values using =A2&B2 and then use the same conditional formatting logic on that column.

10. Double-check before deleting
    Always make a copy of your sheet or duplicate the tab before using remove tools, so you don’t lose important data by mistake.

Common Pitfalls and How to Avoid Them

1. Selecting the wrong range
   Make sure you’re only selecting the range you need. Including headers or empty rows can affect the results.

2. Using the wrong formula reference
   If you’re using A1-style references in formulas, ensure they match the top cell in your selected range to avoid misformatted results.

3. Forgetting to apply to entire column
   If you only apply formatting to a few rows, you may miss duplicates further down. Always apply it to the full column if needed.

4. Removing data without a backup
   Removing duplicates permanently deletes the extra entries. Make a backup copy before you proceed.

5. Not using helper columns
   Trying to identify duplicates across multiple columns without combining them can be confusing. Use helper columns to simplify the process.

Common FAQs About Finding Duplicates in Google Sheets

1. How do I highlight duplicates in Google Sheets?
   Use conditional formatting with a custom formula like =COUNTIF(A:A, A1)>1 to highlight cells that appear more than once.

2. Can I remove duplicates automatically in Sheets?
   Yes, use Data → Data cleanup → Remove duplicates to delete repeated values in a selected range.

3. Is there a way to list only duplicate values?
   Yes, use =FILTER(A2:A, COUNTIF(A2:A, A2:A)>1) to return only the values that appear more than once.

4. How do I find duplicates across multiple columns?
   Create a helper column by combining values using a formula like =A2&B2 and apply the duplicate-checking formula to that column.

5. What’s the difference between highlighting and removing duplicates?
   Highlighting shows you which values are duplicated, while removing duplicates deletes repeated entries and keeps only the first occurrence.

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