Excel UNIQUE Function
Summary
The Excel UNIQUE function returns a list of unique values in a list or range. Values can be text, numbers, dates, times, etc.
Purpose
Extract unique values from range
Return value
Array of unique values
Syntax
=UNIQUE (array, [by_col], [exactly_once])
Arguments
- array - Range or array from which to extract unique values.
- by_col - [optional] How to sort. By row = FALSE (default); by column = TRUE.
- exactly_once - [optional] TRUE = values that occur once, FALSE= all unique values (default).
Usage notes
The Excel UNIQUE function extracts a list of unique values from a range. The result is a dynamic array of values. If this array is the final result (i.e. not handed off to another function) array values will "spill" onto the worksheet into a range that automatically updates when new uniques values are added or removed from the source range.
Examples
To return unique values from in the range A1:A10, you can use a formula like this:
=UNIQUE(A1:A10)
To return unique values from the horizontal range A1:E1, set the by_col argument to TRUE or 1:
=UNIQUE(A1:E1,1) // extract unique from horizontal array
The UNIQUE function has an optional argument called exactly_once that controls how the function deals with repeating values. By default, exactly_once is FALSE. This means UNIQUE will exact unique values regardless of how many times they appear in the source data. If set to TRUE or 1, UNIQUE will extract only unique values that appear just once in the source data:
=UNIQUE(A1:A10,0,1) // values that appear once only
UNIQUE is a new function available in Office 365 only.
UNIQUE formula examples
To extract a list of unique values from a set of data, ignoring blank cells, you can use the UNIQUE function together with the FILTER function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=UNIQUE(FILTER(B5:B16,B5:B16...
To extract a list of unique values from a set of data, while applying one or more logical criteria, you can use the UNIQUE function together with the FILTER function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=...
To count unique values with one or more conditions, you can use the COUNTA function together with UNIQUE and FILTER. In the example shown, the formula in H7 is:
=COUNTA(UNIQUE(FILTER(B6:B15,C6:C15=H6)))
which returns...
To extract a list of unique values from a set of data, while applying one or more logical criteria, you can use the UNIQUE function together with the FILTER function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=...
To extract a list of distinct values from a set of data (i.e. values that appear just once), you can use the UNIQUE function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=UNIQUE(B5:B16,FALSE,TRUE)
which outputs the 2...
To extract a list of unique values from a set of data, you can use the UNIQUE function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=UNIQUE(B5:B16)
which outputs the 7 unique values seen in D5:D11.
How this formula...
To compare two lists and extract common values, you can use a formula based on the FILTER and COUNTIF functions. In the example shown, the formula in F5 is:
=FILTER(list1,COUNTIF(list2,list1))
where list1 (B5:B15)...
To extract a list of unique values from a set of data, filtered by count or occurence, you can use UNIQUE with FILTER, and apply criteria with the COUNTIF function. In the example shown, the formula in D5 is:
=UNIQUE(...
To count unique values in a set of data, you can use the UNIQUE function together with the COUNTA function. In the example shown, the formula in F5 is:
=COUNTA(UNIQUE(B5:B16))
which returns 7, since there are seven...
Related videos
In this video, we’ll look at a core concept in dynamic array behavior - spilling and the spill range.
In this video, we'll look at how to create a two-way summary with dynamic array formulas. The result is a summary table that's very similar to a pivot table.
In this video, we'll look at how to use the FILTER function together with the UNIQUE function to limit results using logical criteria.
In this video, we'll introduce the UNIQUE function. The UNIQUE function lets you extract unique values in a variety of ways.
In this video, we'll look at a few ways to see or visualize arrays in a formula. One of the best things about the new dynamic array formula engine in Excel is that it's much easier to see and visualize arrays.
In this video, we'll look at how to count the unique values returned by the UNIQUE function, together with other functions like FILTER and COUNTA.
Related functions
See also
