How to conditional format or highlight first occurrence (all unique values) in Excel?

For a list of data, there may occur some duplicate occurrences. In some cases, if you need to highlight or conditional format every first occurrence of each unique entry in a column, how can you achieve it? In this tutorial, we will show you how to conditional format first occurrence in Excel step by step.

Conditional format/highlight first occurrence in Excel
Easily highlight first occurrence (all unique values) with Kutools for Excel

Conditional format/highlight first occurrence in Excel

For example, you have a list of data as below screenshot shown. For highlighting every first occurrence of each unique entry, please do as follow.

1. Select the range with the data you want to format.

2. Create a new conditional formatting rule with clicking Conditional Formatting > New Rule under Home tab.

3. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, you can:

4. In the Format Cells dialog box, specify format as you need, and then click the OK button.

5. Then it returns to the New Formatting Rule dialog box, click the OK button.

Then the conditional formatting is added to every first occurrence of each unique entry in the column. See screenshot:

Easily highlight first occurrence (all unique values) with Kutools for Excel

With Kutools for Excel’s Select Duplicate & Unique Cells utility, you can easily highlight the first occurrence (all unique values) in Excel. Please do as follows.

1. Select the range with all unique values you want to highlight, and then click Kutools > Select > Select Duplicate & Unique Cells. 

2. In the Select Duplicate & Unique Cells dialog box, select All unique (Including 1st duplocates) option, check the Fill backcolor box and specify a highlighted color from the drop-down list, and finally click the OK button. In the following popping up dialog box, click the OK button. See screenshot:

Now you can see all first occurrences (all unique values) in selected list are highlighted with specified background color.

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