How to Extract Unique Items from a List in Excel - 10 Methods

Method 1 – Using the Excel Array Formula to Extract Unique Items from a List

The following Product List contains ID No and Product Name. There is a repetition in Product Name.

Enter the following formula in E5.

=IFERROR(INDEX($C$5:$C$12,MATCH(0,COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12),0)),"")

This formula is a combination of the INDEX, MATCH, and COUNTIF functions.

COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12)→ Checks the unique list and returns 0 when a match is not found and 1 when a match is found.
MATCH(0,COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12),0)→ Identifies the position of the first occurrence of no-match, 0, here.
INDEX($C$5:$C$12,MATCH(0,COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12),0))→ INDEX uses the position returned by MATCH and returns the name from the list.
The IFERROR function replaces possible errors with blank.

Press Enter.
Drag down the formula with the Fill Handle tool.

The unique items are displayed in the Unique Products Using Array Formula table.

Method 2 – Using the Excel UNIQUE Function to Extract from a List

Enter =UNIQUE in E5 to see the UNIQUE Function.
Select an array: Product Name, here: C5:C12.

Enter a comma, ”,”, and double-click False-Return unique rows.
Close the bracket and press Enter.

This is the output.

Method 3 – Using the Non-Array Formula with the LOOKUP and COUNTIF Functions

Enter the following formula in E5.

=LOOKUP(2,1/(COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12)=0),$C$5:$C$12)

COUNTIF($E$4:E4,$C$5:$C$12)→ Checks the unique list, and returns a 0 when a match is not found and 1 if a match is found; generates an array of Binary values TRUE and FALSE; divides 1 by this array, providing another array (values 1 and #DIV/0 error).
The LOOKUP function has 2 as the lookup value. The result of the COUNTIF portion is a lookup_vector. LOOKUP matches the final value of the error and returns the corresponding value.

Press Enter.
Drag down the formula with the Fill Handle.

The extracted unique items are displayed in the Unique Product Using Non-Array Formula table.

Method 4 – Extracting Using an Excel Array Formula and

Excluding Duplicates

Enter the following formula in E5.

=INDEX(List,MATCH(0,INDEX(COUNTIF(E4:$E$4,List)+(COUNTIF(List,List)<>1),0,0),0))

E4:$E$4 is the first cell of the column we want to exclude and List is the range of selected cells from C5:C12.

The two INDEX functions return the initial and final values returned by COUNTIFS and MATCH.

Press Enter.
Drag down the formula with the Fill Handle tool.

The two unique products are displayed excluding duplications.

Method 5 – Extracting Unique Items from a List Using an Advanced Filter

Select the data range.
Click the Data tab.

Choose Sort & Filter in Advanced.

In Advanced Filter, select Copy to another location.
In Copy to, enter $E$4 .
Click Unique records only.

Click OK.

The unique items are extracted in the table Unique Product using Advanced Filter.

Method 6 – Extracting Case-Sensitive Unique Values in Excel

Enter the following formula in D3.

=IFERROR(INDEX($B$3:$B$10, MATCH(0, FREQUENCY(IF(EXACT($B$3:$B$10,TRANSPOSE($D$2:D2)), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$10), ROW($B$3:$B$10)), ""), MATCH(ROW($B$3:$B$10), ROW($B$3:$B$10))), 0)), "")

Press Enter.

Drag down the formula with the Fill Handle tool.

The extracted case-sensitive unique values are displayed in the table Case Sensitive Distinct Values.

Method 7 – Using a Pivot Table to Extract Unique Items from a List

Select the dataset range. Here, C4:C12.
Select the Insert tab on the Ribbon.
Choose Pivot Table.

Select Existing Worksheet and the location. E4:E12, here.
Check Add this data to the Data Model.
Click OK.

The extracted Unique Product is displayed in the Row Levels table.

Method 8 – Applying a VBA Macro to Extract Unique Items from a List

Press ALT+F11 in the active sheet. Here, Sheet8.
A VBA window will appear.
Double-click Sheet8.

The VBA editor is displayed.

Enter the following code.

Sub ExtractUnique()
Rem Declare a Long type variable
Dim lsrow As Long
Rem Define the variable
lsrow = Cells(Rows.Count, "C").End(xlUp).Row
Rem Applying AdvancedFilter
ActiveSheet.Range("C4:C" & lsrow).AdvancedFilter Action:=xlFilterCopy, _
CopyToRange:=ActiveSheet.Range("E4"), Unique:=True
End Sub

Close the VBA editor and go to Sheet8.
Press ALT+F8 to open the Macro.
Click Run.

The unique products are displayed in the Product Name table.

Method 9. Highlighting Unique Items with Conditional Formatting

Select the Product Name (C5:C12).

Go to the Home tab.
Select Conditional Formatting.
Choose New Rule.

In the New Formatting Rule window, select Use a Formula to determine which cells to format.
Enter the following formula in Format values where this formula is true.

=COUNTIF($C$5:C5,C5)=1

Click Format.

In Format Cells: click Fill.
Select a color. Blue, here.
Click OK.

Preview and click OK.

The highlighted unique Product Name is displayed.

Method 10. Using Conditional Formatting to Extract Unique Items

Select the Product Name (C5:C12).
Go to the Home tab on the Ribbon and select Conditional Formatting.
Choose New Rule.

In New Formatting Rule, select Use a Formula to determine which cells to format.
Enter the following formula in Format values where this formula is true.

=COUNTIF($C$5:C5,C5)>1