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VLOOKUP is a useful function in Excel that allows users to quickly identify duplicate values within a dataset. By using this function, users can easily search for a specific value in a column and retrieve the corresponding value from a different column. This can be particularly helpful when trying to identify duplicate values in a large dataset. To use VLOOKUP for this purpose, the user can first create a new column next to the column containing the data to be checked. Then, the VLOOKUP function can be applied to search for each value in the original column and return a result of “TRUE” or “FALSE” in the new column. By sorting the data based on the result column, all duplicate values can be easily identified and removed or managed accordingly. This simple but effective method can save time and effort in identifying and managing duplicate values in an Excel spreadsheet.
Excel: Find Duplicates Using VLOOKUP
You can use the following VLOOKUP formula in Excel to find values in one column that are duplicates of values in another column:
=VLOOKUP(B2, $A$2:$A$8, 1, FALSE)
This particular formula looks up the value in cell B2 in the range A2:A8 and returns B2 if it is found. Otherwise, #N/A is returned.
The following example shows how to use this formula in practice.
Example: Find Duplicates Using VLOOKUP in Excel
Suppose we have the following dataset in Excel that shows the names of various fruits sold by a store during two consecutive weeks:
Now suppose we would like to use a VLOOKUP function to find the names of the fruits in the Week 2 column that are duplicates of a name in the Week 1 column.
To do so, we can type the following formula into cell C2:
=VLOOKUP(B2, $A$2:$A$8, 1, FALSE)
We can then drag and fill this formula down to the remaining cells in column C:
If the name of the fruit appears in column C, then it is a duplicate.
For example:
- Pears is a duplicate.
- Peaches is not a duplicate.
- Kiwis is a duplicate.
- Bananas is a duplicate.
And so on.
Note that we could also use the following VLOOKUP formula to return specific values that indicate whether or not each fruit is a duplicate:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B2,$A$2:$A$8,1,FALSE)),"Not a Duplicate","Duplicate")
We’ll type this formula into cell C2 and then drag and fill it down to each remaining cell in column C:
From the output we can see:
- Pears is a duplicate.
- Peaches is not a duplicate.
- Kiwis is a duplicate.
- Bananas is a duplicate.
And so on.
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Excel:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-identify-duplicate-values-in-excel/
stats writer. "How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 27 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-identify-duplicate-values-in-excel/.
stats writer. "How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-identify-duplicate-values-in-excel/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-vlookup-to-identify-duplicate-values-in-excel/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I use VLOOKUP to identify duplicate values in Excel?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.