How to Remove Duplicate Rows in Excel
Duplicate rows can distort counts, totals, customer lists, reports, and analysis. Keep a copy of the original workbook before making changes.
1. Define a true duplicate
Decide which columns determine uniqueness. A customer name alone may not uniquely identify a record; an order ID often can.
2. Use Remove Duplicates
- Select the data range, including headers.
- Open Excel's Data tab.
- Choose Remove Duplicates.
- Select the columns that define duplicates.
- Confirm the result and review the number removed.
3. Verify the result
Check row counts, blank cells, spaces, dates, and number formats after cleanup.
4. Run a quality check
Use CASSIA's free Excel & CSV Data Quality Checker to inspect common issues in your browser.