{"id":471,"date":"2025-07-15T13:34:46","date_gmt":"2025-07-15T13:34:46","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/functiontranslator.com\/2021\/02\/12\/unique\/"},"modified":"2021-02-13T11:36:50","modified_gmt":"2021-02-13T11:36:50","slug":"unique","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/functiontranslator.com\/en\/unique\/","title":{"rendered":"UNIQUE"},"content":{"rendered":"

Today, we’ll explore the UNIQUE function, a handy feature available in both Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets. This function is designed to extract unique values from a specified range or array, effectively eliminating any duplicates.<\/p>\n

Basic Syntax<\/h2>\n

The syntax of the UNIQUE function is straightforward:<\/p>\n

=UNIQUE(range\/array, [by_col], [exactly_once])<\/code><\/pre>\n
    \n
  • range\/array<\/code>: Specifies the range of cells or array from which you want to extract unique values.<\/li>\n
  • by_col<\/code> (optional): Determines the orientation for comparison:\n
      \n
    • TRUE<\/code> (default) – Compares values column by column.<\/li>\n
    • FALSE<\/code> – Compares values row by row.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n
    • exactly_once<\/code> (optional): Defines the frequency of occurrence for inclusion:\n
        \n
      • FALSE<\/code> (default) – Includes all unique values.<\/li>\n
      • TRUE<\/code> – Includes only those values that occur exactly once.<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n<\/li>\n<\/ul>\n
        Examples of Using the UNIQUE Function<\/h2>\n
        Example 1: Extracting Unique Values<\/h2>\n
        Consider a list of fruit names from which we need to identify unique items:<\/p>\n\n\n\n\n\n\n\n
        A<\/th>\nB<\/th>\n<\/tr>\n
        1<\/td>\nApple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        2<\/td>\nApple<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        3<\/td>\nOrange<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        4<\/td>\nBanana<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n
        5<\/td>\nOrange<\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n
        By applying the formula =UNIQUE(A1:A5)<\/code>, we extract the distinct fruit names: Apple, Orange, and Banana.<\/p>\n
        Example 2: Unique Values That Occur Exactly Once<\/h2>\n
        To identify fruits that appear only once in our list, we use the formula =UNIQUE(A1:A5, FALSE, TRUE)<\/code>. This produces ‘Banana’ as the result, since it is the only fruit that meets this criterion.<\/p>\n
        The UNIQUE function is invaluable for managing datasets by allowing quick identification of unique elements. It simplifies data analysis and enhances both efficiency and organization in your work.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
        Returns a list of unique values in a list or range<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[200],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-471","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-lookup-and-reference"],"acf":[],"yoast_head":"\nExcel UNIQUE Function \u2013 How It Works, Formula Examples and Syntax<\/title>\n<meta name=\"description\" content=\"Learn what the Excel UNIQUE function does. 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