In Excel: use =UNIQUE(array) — a dynamic-array function that returns a distinct list from a range and spills the result down or across automatically.
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
array | required | The range or array to extract distinct values from. |
by_col | optional | FALSE or omitted compares and returns rows; TRUE compares and returns columns. |
exactly_once | optional | TRUE returns only items that appear exactly once; FALSE or omitted returns one of each distinct item. |
Related functions
2 duplicates removed · 3 kept
What this does
UNIQUE is a dynamic-array function in Excel 365 and Excel 2021 that returns the distinct values from a range, spilling the live result into the cells below. Unlike the Remove Duplicates data tool — a one-off action that permanently edits your data — UNIQUE is a formula that recalculates whenever the source changes, so a dropdown or report stays current. The optional by_col switches it to compare columns instead of rows, and exactly_once returns only the items that occur a single time. Because it spills, it needs empty cells below; if something blocks the spill it returns a #SPILL! error. The same idea underpins a lot of everyday Excel work, so the few minutes spent getting it right here pay back across every sheet you build afterwards. Treat it as a pattern, not a one-off, and it stops being something you look up and starts being something you reach for. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “get unique values in column excel”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected columns visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
Region names with repeats sit in A2:A100. =UNIQUE(A2:A100) spills a clean list of each region once — say West, East, North, South — into the cells below the formula. To list only regions that appear exactly once, add the third argument: =UNIQUE(A2:A100, FALSE, TRUE). To sort the distinct list, wrap it: =SORT(UNIQUE(A2:A100)). UNIQUE is the modern way to build live distinct lists — for dashboards, dropdowns and summaries — because it updates automatically and, unlike Remove Duplicates, never alters the underlying data. One habit worth forming early: name the cells that hold your inputs, so the formula reads in plain language instead of a string of cell addresses. A reviewer — or you in three months — can then follow the logic without decoding what B7 and D2 were supposed to mean, which is most of what makes a sheet maintainable.
In Google Sheets
Google Sheets handles this almost identically to Excel. The formula syntax above is the same, and the menu lives under a slightly different label rather than a ribbon tab. Use the platform toggle at the top of the page to switch every keyboard shortcut between Windows and Mac, and expect at most cosmetic differences in naming. Nothing on this page is behind a login: the tool runs entirely in your browser, the formula is shown in full with one-click copy, and the steps work the same on Windows and Mac. That is the whole promise here — the exact answer, a way to prove it on your own numbers, and just enough context to make it stick. Here is the takeaway for “get unique values in column excel”: copy the answer if you are busy, but if you have a spare few minutes, rebuild the example in Excel yourself with the tool above open beside it. That single pass — type it, run it, watch the result move when you change an input — is what turns a formula you found into a technique you trust. Keep your inputs labelled and referenced, never hard-coded, and the same sheet stays correct and auditable as it grows. Done that way, you will not need to look this up again, and you will be the person others ask.
Common mistakes
- Placing the formula where cells below are occupied, which blocks the spill and returns a
#SPILL!error — clear the range underneath. - Confusing
UNIQUEwith Remove Duplicates — Remove Duplicates is a one-off tool that deletes data, whileUNIQUEis a live formula that leaves the source intact. - Using
UNIQUEin Excel 2019 or earlier, where it does not exist and returns#NAME?; fall back to Remove Duplicates or an advanced filter there.
Frequently asked questions
What is the difference between UNIQUE and Remove Duplicates?
UNIQUE is a formula that spills a live distinct list and updates when the source changes, leaving your data untouched. Remove Duplicates is a one-off button on the Data tab that permanently deletes the duplicate rows from the data itself.
Why does UNIQUE return a #SPILL! error?
Something is occupying the cells where the result needs to spill. Clear or move the contents below the formula so the distinct list has room, and the spill resolves.
How do I get a sorted list of unique values?
Wrap UNIQUE in SORT: =SORT(UNIQUE(A2:A100)) returns the distinct values in ascending order, perfect for a tidy dropdown source.
Other ways people ask this
On the way here you may have searched this as “get unique values excel column”, “excel get unique values in a column” and “get unique values in excel” — it is all the same task, and this page is the single, complete answer to it.
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “get unique values excel column”, “excel get unique values in a column”, “get unique values in excel” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.