When we work with databases it is normal to get many numerical values that can be repeated, according to what we are registering. Sometimes having duplicate numbers can hinder an analysis or procedure that requires unique values, which is why we seek to eliminate them as possible.
In this article we will explain how to easily identify and remove a list of duplicate data in Excel . In addition, we will mention other functions of this spreadsheet program that you can take advantage of for your project. That way you can get the most out of it.
Index
- How to identify and remove duplicate data from a list in Excel?
- What are the criteria for preserving Excel data?
- Excel, how can we take advantage of it?
How to identify and remove duplicate data from a list in Excel?
This process is simple and it won’t take you long to do it. You just have to follow the steps to be able to carry it out. To begin, we will have to be inside the document where we have the list of data where we want to eliminate duplicates , then:
- You will select all the cells of the data list that you have. These must be unique and united, where you will have to select how far you want to apply the function.
- Next, we go to the “Data”tab and select “Remove duplicates” .
- Immediately a pop-up window will appear where we will configure the criteria to be considered for the elimination.
- We will find a box that says “My data has headers”that by default is checked. This option makes the first row of the data list not taken into account.
- Otherwise, it will take the first row into account for duplicate data.
- On the other hand, we will see the selected columns in our data list. We can mark and unmark columns to consider them or not in the elimination.
- If a column is checked, the function will remove duplicate data in the same column. If more than one column is checked, the duplicate data will be considered in the two columns to be removed.
- At the bottom of the pop-up window we will press “OK”. Then a window will appear with the amount of data deleted and values preserved.
In this way, you will have eliminated all the duplicate data from a data list , quickly and easily. In the event that you want to take an average, you can also do it through the Excel functions.
In case you have any doubts, you can also check Microsoft’s support where another way to eliminate duplicate data is detailed step by step. In the same way, we must know what criteria Excel considers to understand the operation of this data elimination tool.
What are the criteria for preserving Excel data?
Mainly, after finding the duplicate data, Excel removes all those further down the data list . In other words, those that appear first are the data that the program maintains and the others are removed. However, if there is a cell whose information you do not want to be removed or deleted, you also have the option to lock and fix it .
On the other hand, the criterion that the data must be duplicated in all the columns means that the more we select, the less data is likely to be eliminated . Also, selecting one or two columns increases the amount of duplicate data that is removed.
In this way, Excel offers us the possibility of eliminating repeated data for our purposes. This program offers many solutions to its users, being today one of the most important tools in various fields.
Excel, how can we take advantage of it?
Just as we can eliminate duplicate data, with Excel we can perform a wide variety of actions that will facilitate the process. One of the most used and interesting tools of this program is the conditional format that is of great help to analyze data in a more efficient and practical way .
In Microsoft support you can find the functionalities that this conditional tool offers. You can even apply Boolean logic to the information contained within a cell, as well as create data of the same nature and store it. This greatly allows us to create a program that tells us what we want to know about the data.
I hope you take advantage of the deduplication and conditional formatting, don’t forget to share, see you another time to find out how to do it easily, until next time!
