Do you ever find yourself dealing with messy data imported from various sources? Data that contains multiple copies of the same entries or other errors? Don’t worry, we’ve got a solution for you! In this complete guide, we will dive into the wonderful world of the UNIQUE function in Google Sheets. This function is your secret weapon for eliminating duplicate values and keeping only a clean set of unique values in your Google Sheets column.
What Does the UNIQUE Function Do?
The UNIQUE function in Google Sheets is designed to filter unique values by taking a range of cells and returning the unique values from that range, eliminating duplicates. The best part about the UNIQUE function is that it allows you to remove duplicates without altering the original data. It works dynamically, so any changes you make to the original data are automatically reflected in the result of the UNIQUE function.
When to Use the UNIQUE Function?
The UNIQUE function can be used in different situations, such as:
- Getting unique values from columns into a separate table.
- Removing duplicates from your data.
How Does the UNIQUE Function Work?
The syntax of the UNIQUE function is as follows:
UNIQUE(range, filter_by_column, exactly_once)
- The
rangeis the data from which we want to extract the unique values. - The
filter_by_columnis an optional parameter that specifies whether we want to filter the data by row or by column. By default, this value is set toFALSE. - The
exactly_onceis also an optional parameter that determines whether we want only the entries without duplicates. By default, this value is set toFALSE.
You can use either a range of column names or a range of cell references as the range parameter.
How to Use the UNIQUE Function?
Let’s dive into some use cases to understand how the UNIQUE function works.
Example 1: Getting Unique Values in a Single Column
Let’s say you want to display all the unique first names in a dataset. You can use the UNIQUE function as follows:
=UNIQUE(A2:A8)
This will remove any duplicate first names from the result, leaving you with a list of unique first names.
Example 2: Getting Unique Values in Multiple Columns
If you want to work with more than one column and ensure that two rows don’t have the same combination of first name and last name, you can use the UNIQUE function with multiple columns:
=UNIQUE(A2:B8)
This will give you a list of unique combinations of first names and last names, without any duplicate entries.
Example 3: Advanced Filtering with the UNIQUE and SORT Functions
You can create an advanced UNIQUE formula by combining it with the SORT function. This allows you to remove duplicates and sort your data simultaneously. For example:
=SORT(UNIQUE(A2:B8))
This will give you a sorted list of unique names.
Example 4: Filtering Data by Unique Values
The UNIQUE function can also be used as a duplicate filter. By changing the third parameter to TRUE, you can filter out repetitive values. For example:
=UNIQUE(A2:B8, FALSE, TRUE)
This will remove any repeated values from the output.
Example 5: Filtering Data by Column
The UNIQUE function can filter by both row and column. To filter entries by column, simply use the UNIQUE function with the desired columns. For example:
=UNIQUE(A2:D8)
This will remove any duplicate columns from the output.
Key Takeaways About the UNIQUE Function
Here are a few points to keep in mind when using the UNIQUE function in Google Sheets:
- The UNIQUE function is dynamic, so any changes to the source data are automatically reflected in the result.
- You cannot modify the result of the UNIQUE function directly.
- If you want to work with the result, you can copy and paste it as values.
Remember, the UNIQUE function is great for removing records where all values repeat. However, if you want to remove a record when only part of it repeats, you may need to explore other techniques like the QUERY function.
In conclusion, the UNIQUE function is a powerful tool for data cleaning in Google Sheets. We’ve covered its syntax, usage, and various use cases. If you have any lingering questions, feel free to leave a comment. And for more amazing Google Sheets features and exciting topics, head over to Crawlan.com!
Note: The content above is an expressive composition inspired by the original article. Crawlan.com is the place to learn more about Google Sheets features and other exciting topics!
