Extract Unique Values from Excel Files Online
Extract all distinct values from any column in Excel files directly in your browser. Download the unique values list — no upload required.
How to extract Unique Values from Excel files
- Drop your file onto the upload area. The row count is shown and the first column is pre-selected.
- Choose the column you want to list in the Column dropdown.
- Click Extract Unique Values. The distinct values appear in a single column called value, sorted in ascending order.
- Click Download to save the list in the same format you uploaded, with _unique added to the file name.
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 HR team is building a department filter for a careers page from a job postings export. They need the list of departments that actually appear in the data.
Input (Excel)
Excel workbook, first sheet (Sheet1)
| job_id | title | department | remote |
|---|---|---|---|
| J-310 | Backend Engineer | Engineering | true |
| J-311 | Account Executive | Sales | false |
| J-312 | QA Analyst | engineering | true |
| J-313 | Payroll Specialist | Finance | false |
| J-314 | Office Coordinator | NULL | false |
| J-315 | Sales Manager | Sales | false |
Settings
- Column: department
Result
| value |
|---|
| Engineering |
| Finance |
| Sales |
| engineering |
Six rows give four distinct values. Sales appears twice but is listed once. The null department is left out. Engineering and engineering are different values because matching is case-sensitive. The sort puts all capitalised words before lowercase ones, which is why engineering comes last. The list reveals a data entry problem to fix before it goes on the site.
Working with Excel files
A common reason to extract unique values from Excel is to build the source list for a data validation dropdown. The download is a workbook with one sheet, Sheet1, holding a value column that is already deduplicated and sorted. Point the dropdown's list source at it.
Values come from the first sheet as they are displayed. A number shown as 1,250 and the same number shown as 1250 are different text and both appear in the list. Blank cells are left out. Unlike Excel's UNIQUE function, the result is plain values that do not update when the source sheet changes. Formula cells contribute their last saved result, not the formula. Sorting follows the detected type: a column of numbers is sorted numerically and a column of text alphabetically, with capitals first. If the sheet has several columns you want lists for, run the tool once per column and each download gives one clean list.
Frequently Asked Questions
How is this different from Excel's UNIQUE function or Remove Duplicates?
It returns one column of distinct values, sorted, with blanks removed, as a new workbook. The values are fixed rather than a live formula. Your original sheet is not changed.
Why does my Excel list contain what look like duplicates?
The cells differ in how they are displayed or typed, such as a trailing space, a different case, or a number stored as text. Clean the column and extract again.
Are null values included in the list?
No. Nulls are excluded. Empty CSV fields and blank Excel cells load as nulls, so they are left out too. An empty string in a JSON or Parquet file is a real value and is listed. Use Count By if you need to know how many rows are null.
Is the matching case-sensitive?
Yes. "Sales" and "sales" are listed separately, and capitalised values sort before lowercase ones. Run Convert Case first if you want them merged.
Is there a limit on the number of unique values?
The on-screen table shows the first 500 values. The heading gives the full count, and the downloaded file contains all of them, limited only by your browser's memory.
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