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How to identify missing numbers sequence in Excel?

Let's say you have a long list of sequence numbers to mark items, such as check numbers in bank statements, normally we scrolling through and locate the missing sequence numbers manually. Sometimes this is quite arduous and time-consuming. You may think of tricky ways to deal with it. Yes, there are several easy ways to identify and locate missing numbers sequence in Excel 2007, Excel 2010, and Excel 2013 quickly and conveniently.

Identify missing numbers sequence with IF formula

Identify missing numbers sequence with an array formula

Identify missing numbers sequence with Kutools for Excel quickly

arrow blue right bubble Identify missing numbers sequence with IF formula

As we all known, most of sequence numbers are with fixed increment of 1, such as 1, 2, 3, …, N. Therefore, if you can identify the number is not less 1 than its following number, there is a missing number.

We will show you the tutorials with an example as following screenshot shows:

doc identify missing numbers 1

1. In a blank cell, enter the formula of =IF(A3-A2=1,"","Missing"), and press the Enter key. In this case, we enter the formula in Cell B2.

doc-identify-missing-numbers2

If there is no missing numbers, this formula will return nothing; if missing numbers exist, it will return the text of "Missing" in active cell.

2. Select the cell B2 and drag the fill handle over the range of cells that you want to contain this formula. Now it identifies the missing numbers with the text of "Missing" in corresponding cells of Column B. See the following screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers3

arrow blue right bubble Identify missing numbers sequence with an array formula

Sometimes it requires not only identifying missing numbers sequence, but also listing missing numbers too. You can deal it with following steps:

1. in the adjacent cell, please enter the formula = SMALL(IF(ISNA(MATCH(ROW(A$1:A$30),A$1:A$30,0)),ROW(A$1:A$30)),ROW(A1))

A1:A30 = range of numbers, the sequence to check against is from 1 to 30

2. Press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter Keys together to finish the formula. Copy down the formula until you get #NUM! errors meaning all missing numbers have been listed. See screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers4

arrow blue right bubble Identify missing numbers sequence with Kutools for Excel quickly

The above methods only can identify the missing pure number sequence, if you have the sequence such as AA-1001-BB, AA-1002-BB, they may not work successfully. But, don't worry, Kutools for Excel’s powerful feature – Find Missing Sequence Number can help you quickly identify the missing sequence.

Note:To apply this Find Missing Sequence Number, firstly, you should download the Kutools for Excel, and then apply the feature quickly and easily.

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as this:

1. Select the data sequence that you want to find the missing sequence.

2. Click Kutools > Insert > Find Missing Sequence Number, see screenshot:

3. In the Find Missing Sequence Number dialog box:

(1.) If you choose Inserting new column with following missing marker option, all the missing sequence numbers have been marked with the text Missing in a new column next to your data. See screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers 6

(2.) If you choose Inserting missing sequence number option, all the missing numbers have been inserted into the sequence list. See screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers 7

(3.) If you choose Inserting blank rows when encounting missing sequence numbers option, all blank rows are inserted when there are missing numbers . See screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers 8

(4.) If you choose Fill background color option, the location of the missing numbers will be highlighted at once. See screenshot:

doc-identify-missing-numbers 9

arrow blue right bubble Identify missing numbers sequence with Kutools for Excel quickly

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Comments (42)
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Poutoa
Poutoa
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I want to find a missing receipts using a range in columns, i.e. B2:C2 (receipt book # 679201/B2:679400/C2) meaning 200 receipt pages in one receipt book. Then accounted receipts of 679305/D2:679386/E2. Then what is the best formula for this?
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Femi
Femi
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Thank you. This is awesome
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Marko
Marko
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Doesn't work
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Kumar
Kumar
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i wanted to identify the missing range in sequence rather than a missing number. example if there is range missing from 1,2,3,8,9,10,11,18. the missing range is 4-7 & 12-17.
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Inder
Inder
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Thankyou... It helped a lot... God bless you
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Brooke
Brooke
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I have a list and this has been extremely helpful. I am trying to list the existing numbers in a sequence and then skip the missing (ext. 1, 2, 3, 5, 7 to show as 1 - 3, 5, 7). Is this possible to formulate?
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sanchit Bhardwaj
sanchit Bhardwaj
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Hello Community and excel Gurus; I wan to search missing numbers in a row of excel ,I tried to use the Kutool for excel ,After selecting the option to find missing numbers ,i am getting error the range can only contain number or text ?Though the range or row i had selected contains only number. Any expert advice ? Best, Sanchit Bhrdwaj
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ajkjadja
ajkjadja     sanchit Bhardwaj
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May be your numbers are in text format so first you have to convert it numeber by multiply all with Number 1 , the format will change in number then your range will be in number and it will change
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Mansur
Mansur
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Thank u Mannnnnn . Cheers
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Sekhar
Sekhar
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its good working but this formula very big how can remember this = SMALL(IF(ISNA(MATCH(ROW(A$1:A$30),A$1:A$30,0)),ROW(A$1:A$30)),ROW(A1))
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Faizan
Faizan
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[google]send formul[/google]
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Rick
Rick
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Thats a beautiful post however the VBA macro code has a serious error, when you give it start and end number, it misses many randomly and thus the missing number list is incorrect. For example : in 1 to 100, I found 67 is not generated hence the missing number list never list 67 even if its not there. Any idea how to fix it ?
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Shivi
Shivi
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Hi, After using the missing formula I am able to find how many values are missing from my data. However when I try to find what exact values (numbers) are missing its giving me an error. I have more than 7700 rows of data missing. Now these values missing are from multiple cheque book and each cheque book has 50 leafs. These 7700 are the missing leafs and missing numbers are in no order. By no order I mean 1st cheque or 2nd or 5th 35th 48th number anything could be missing. Plus I cannot even define a range as in case above. What should I do, please advice.
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Shivi Bhatia
Shivi Bhatia
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Hi Sir, This example above is nothing short of a miracle similar to what a pace maker is to a heart patient. Cant express my thanks in words but you are a god saver
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Chris
Chris
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Is there a way to include a blank row for each missing number without losing the format/data
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Bruce
Bruce
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The =small(if(isna>>>>> formula causes excel to lock up. Any ideas folks?
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Bruce
Bruce
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The =small(if(isna>>>>>>>>> formula causes my excel programe to lock up and cease to function. Any Ideas folks.
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Ashish
Ashish
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"You can find out the missing number in array by following algorithm: /* getMissingNumber takes array and size of array as arguments*/ int getMissingNumber (int arr[], int num) { int i; /* For xor of all the elemets in arary */ int x1 = a[0]; /* For xor of all the elemets from 1 to n+1 */ int x2 = 1; for (i = 1; i< n; i++) x1 = x1^a[i]; for ( i = 2; i
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marty
marty
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will any of these work for phone numbers if I'm looking for phone numbers that are missing in a sequence?
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jawale Jyotsna
jawale Jyotsna
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Dear sir I want to find out d missing numbers from S-1 to S-27000 and J-1 to J-6500. Please send me the vba code for d same. The code available on net , when executed gives compilation error with WS.Sort Thaniking you, Jawale Jyo
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jawale Jyotsna
jawale Jyotsna
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This script was not executed, compile error generator as "With WS.Sort"[/quote]
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jawale Jyotsna
jawale Jyotsna
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Dear sir I want to find out d missing numbers from S-1 to S-27000 and J-1 to J-6500. Please send me the vba code for d same Thaniking you, Jawale Jyo
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jawale Jyotsna
jawale Jyotsna
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Dear, I want to find out missing numbers from S-1 to S-27000 and J-1 to J-7000 , U-1 to U-27000, C-1 to C-1848
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jawale Jyotsna
jawale Jyotsna
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Dear Sir, I want to find out missing numbers starting from S-1 to S-30,000 and J-1 to J-7000, U-1 to U-26932 and C-1 to C-1836 please send code, Thanking You. :-)
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Chetan Sonawane
Chetan Sonawane
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I want to find missing numbers starting from B00001 to B11223 which starts with alphabets, kindly send code for this.
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Valda
Valda
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Awesome. It worked. Grateful
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Hama Chigubu
Hama Chigubu
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It worked for me, many thanx!!! :-)
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Srikant.n
Srikant.n
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Thank you, it was a very useful tool as i had to search 1 missing number in 1-7000. thanking you once again
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shanmugasundaram
shanmugasundaram
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Hi sir, It is working and very useful this formula thank you
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midnightsquall
midnightsquall
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I tried the VBA code, and it doesn't work for dates. By that I mean if the range of data I'm using to determine for missing values is in the format: dd/mm/yyyy as opposed to a single integer. Is there an alteration to the VBA code that allows for the same process to be carried out? I used the =IF function and that works fine, but I'd be keen to get it working with the macros as well.
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Farooq
Farooq
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I really enjoyed by executing all three functions in my excel sheet. It was marvelous.
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bobo
bobo
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Great VBA code! Thank you very much for it. As I have no idea about how to create a VBA code, could you please let me know if there is any chance to adapt this code to my needs as follows: 1. the selected range to be by default (e.g. $C$2:$C$5000); 2. the new worksheet to have only the column with the missing numbers (and without "missing values" header); 3. to be able to add exceptions (e.g. numbers 4550432, 4552357, etc) that will not displayed in the new worksheet; 4. if some missing numbers are subsequently added in the original worksheet, these numbers to be automatically erased from the new worksheet, without running again the macro; 5. when I run again the macro, to create the same worksheet, with a particularly name. Thank you so much in advance!
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Dlady
Dlady     bobo
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The instructions are clear about how to add the VB code... it is very easy.
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Satya
Satya
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Dear Sir, It is working fine sir, I put this formula in excel VB module , later I saved as *.xla. now pl help me, how to use it?
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C N Murthy
C N Murthy
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1. VB script is not working as the same returned error as "With WS.Sort" as reported earlier by Mr.Reddy. 2. The formula =SMALL is working for series starting from 1 and NOT for series starting from say 201 to 535. Then this formula is returning all missing nos. starting from 1 whereas ideally we want the missing nos. within the range from 201 to 535.
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Sreenivasulu Reddy
Sreenivasulu Reddy
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This script was not executed, compile error generator as "With WS.Sort"
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ROBERT123
ROBERT123
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my report is like this.... iam uploading an excel file called abc into another excel called xyz.... That excel file abc rows directly writes into my Database...upto here i'm ok.... i need solution like this below.... no of rows read from abc excel while uploading into xyz excel... no of rows inserted into database from abc excel... if any rows while inserting into databse missing i need a message like "some rows were not inserted" i need those missing rows into separate sheet my code is in VBA,macros only...
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ROBERT123
ROBERT123
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Hi all.... Here you are finding missing numbers and pasting into other sheet... But i need to findout missing rows insted of missing numbers...and i need it to paste that missing rows into a new sheet... is there any solution for me..... Thnaks
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KALPANA
KALPANA     ROBERT123
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hi i need to find missimg number in total no of book. i have 20000 book in my library . i have tally 18000 no of book .iam find the miss no's of books. sir pleace help me.
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Chetan
Chetan     KALPANA
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Press Alt+F11 button to open VB Screen, Press Insert then Module and paste above mentioned code and Press F5, it'll show you all the Missing nos in adjacent coloum, if your Acc.No. Start with letter like B, replace it with 0, & then do above operation.
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yelubolusurya@yahoo.com
    Chetan
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Sir
Please send me VBA code for finding missing numbers among 65000 in a column in a less than three minutes
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Y.V.SURYANARAYANA
Y.V.SURYANARAYANA     Chetan
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Sir
Can u send me the vba code to find missing numbers in 65000 numbers in a column. It should take three minutes time
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