Find Fuzzy Duplicates in Excel Files Online
Find near-duplicate rows in Excel files using Levenshtein edit distance or Jaro-Winkler similarity — all in your browser. Set your own threshold and download the matched pairs as CSV — no upload required.
How to find Fuzzy Duplicates in Excel files
- Drop your file onto the upload area. Files with more than 5,000 rows show a notice, because only the first 5,000 rows are compared.
- Choose the column to check for near-duplicates, usually a name, company or address column. The first column is selected by default.
- Pick a similarity method. Levenshtein counts character edits, with a maximum distance of 1 to 4 (default 2). Jaro-Winkler gives a 0 to 1 score, with a minimum similarity slider from 0.70 to 0.99 (default 0.85).
- Click Find Fuzzy Duplicates. The tool lists matching pairs of rows with their values and score.
- Review the pairs and click Download Pairs CSV. The file is a list of pairs to check, not a cleaned copy of your data.
Your file is processed locally in your browser and is never uploaded. The free limit is 50 MB per file; larger files work if your device has the memory for them.
Worked example
An accounts payable team merged supplier lists from two systems and suspects some vendors were entered twice with small spelling differences.
Input (Excel)
Excel workbook, first sheet (Sheet1)
| vendor_id | vendor_name | city |
|---|---|---|
| V-001 | Northgate Plumbing | Leeds |
| V-002 | Northgate Plumbing Ltd | Leeds |
| V-003 | Brightwater Electrical | York |
| V-004 | Brightwater Electric | York |
| V-005 | Harlow & Sons | Hull |
| V-006 | Northgate Plumbng | Leeds |
Settings
- Column: vendor_name
- Method: Jaro-Winkler
- Min similarity: 0.85
Result
| row_a | row_b | val_a | val_b | similarity |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | 6 | Northgate Plumbing | Northgate Plumbng | 0.9889 |
| 3 | 4 | Brightwater Electrical | Brightwater Electric | 0.9818 |
| 1 | 2 | Northgate Plumbing | Northgate Plumbing Ltd | 0.9636 |
| 2 | 6 | Northgate Plumbing Ltd | Northgate Plumbng | 0.9545 |
row_a and row_b are 1-based row positions in the file, and the most similar pairs come first. The three Northgate rows produce three pairs, because every pair is scored separately. Harlow & Sons matches nothing. With Levenshtein at distance 2 instead, only the typo (distance 1) and Electrical/Electric (distance 2) would be listed. Adding " Ltd" is 4 edits.
Working with Excel files
Only the first sheet is read. row_a and row_b count data rows from 1, starting below the header, so row_a 1 is spreadsheet row 2 in Excel. Add 1 to either number to jump to the right row. If the sheet has blank rows above the header or a title block, delete those first so the row numbers line up. Sorting the sheet in Excel after running the check also breaks the link, so keep the original order until you have finished reviewing.
Cells are compared as the text Excel displays. Two cells that show "Harlow & Sons" and "Harlow and Sons" are 3 edits apart, and a Levenshtein maximum of 3 or 4 will pair them. Non-breaking spaces pasted from web pages look like normal spaces but are different characters, and they add hidden edits. The downloaded CSV opens in Excel next to your workbook, so you can review pairs and delete or merge rows by hand.
Frequently Asked Questions
How do I find the matched rows in my Excel sheet?
row_a and row_b count from the first data row. Add 1 to get the Excel row number, assuming the header is in row 1.
Does the tool change my Excel workbook?
No. It only lists the pairs it found. You decide which rows to delete or merge in Excel.
Does the tool remove the near-duplicates for me?
No. It lists pairs of similar rows with their row numbers and score. You decide which rows to keep, then remove the others yourself or with Filter.
Are exact duplicates included in the pairs?
No. Levenshtein pairs must be at least 1 edit apart, and Jaro-Winkler pairs must not be identical. Use Find Duplicates or Remove Duplicates for exact matches.
Which method should I choose?
Levenshtein suits short values and typos, such as codes or single words. Jaro-Winkler suits names and company names, because it rewards a shared start. For example "Robert" and "Robrt" score about 0.96.
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