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Remove Duplicates in Excel Shortcut

ExcelExcelClean listsChecked 2 Nov 2026

Remove Duplicates

AltAM

Press one after another

Highlight duplicates first

AltHL

Then H, then D

The remove duplicates in excel shortcut is Alt, A, M, pressed one after another. Click inside your data, press the sequence, choose which columns must match, and press Enter. Excel deletes the repeated rows and tells you how many were removed.

Because the rows are deleted, not hidden, it is wise to highlight duplicates first or work on a copy. Both methods are shown below, along with the UNIQUE formula for a list that updates itself.

Quick facts

  • Remove Duplicates box

    Alt, then A, then M

  • Highlight duplicates

    Alt, then H, then L, then H, then D

  • Confirm

    Enter

  • Undo

    Ctrl + Z

  • Formula option

    =UNIQUE(A2:A500)

  • Select data first

    Ctrl + A

Remove duplicates in Excel shortcut steps

  1. Click any cell in your data. Make sure it has a heading row.
  2. Press Alt, then A, then M. The Remove Duplicates box opens.
  3. Tick My data has headers if it is not already ticked.
  4. Untick the columns that should not count. For example, to find repeated customers, keep only the Phone column ticked.
  5. Press Enter. Excel reports how many duplicates were removed and how many unique values remain.

If the result is not what you expected, press Ctrl + Z straight away.

Highlight duplicates before removing

Select the column, then press Alt, H, L, H, D to open Duplicate Values under conditional formatting. Press Enter, and every repeated value is coloured. Look through them before deleting; sometimes two people really do share a name. Filter by colour with Ctrl + Shift + L to see only the coloured rows.

Always keep an untouched copy of the sheet. Duplicate the tab before you start, so the raw data survives any mistake.

Which columns to tick

Choosing the match columns
GoalTick
Remove exact repeat rowsAll columns
One row per customer phone numberPhone only
One row per invoice numberInvoice No only
One row per name and cityName and City

When only some columns are ticked, Excel keeps the first row it finds for each value and deletes the later ones, even if their other columns differ. Sort the data first so the row you want to keep comes first.

UNIQUE formula: a list without deleting anything

In newer Excel versions, =UNIQUE(A2:A500) in an empty cell returns the list without repeats and updates when the source changes. The original data stays untouched. Wrap it in SORT for an alphabetical list: =SORT(UNIQUE(A2:A500)). Older versions do not have UNIQUE; use the Remove Duplicates box on a copy instead. A pivot table is another way to see each value once with a count beside it.

When duplicates are not removed

Problems and fixes
ProblemFix
Duplicates remainExtra spaces or different case; clean with TRIM first
Too many rows removedToo few columns were ticked; undo and tick more
Alt, A, M does nothingClick inside the data first, and press keys one at a time
Button greyed outSheet is protected or the data is in an outline
A coaching centre merges enquiry lists from three counsellors into one sheet. The admin sorts by date, presses Alt, A, M, ticks only Mobile, and 140 repeated enquiries are removed, keeping the earliest for each student.

Frequently asked questions

What is the shortcut to remove duplicates in Excel?
Alt, A, M.
How do I highlight duplicates without deleting?
Alt, H, L, H, D.
Can I undo remove duplicates?

Yes, with Ctrl + Z straight away.

Which row does Excel keep?

The first one it finds for each value.

Why are some duplicates not removed?

They differ by spaces or case. Clean them with TRIM first.

Is there a formula to remove duplicates?

Yes, UNIQUE in newer Excel versions.