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 How to highlight consecutive duplicate cells from a list in Excel?

Author: Xiaoyang Last Modified: 2024-09-25
highlight consecutive values

Supposing, I have a long list of data which contains some consecutive duplicate values, how could I highlight those consecutive duplicate cells as following screenshot shown in Excel?

Highlight consecutive duplicate cells from a list with Conditional Formatting

Highlight duplicate cells from a list with Kutools for Excel


arrow blue right bubble Highlight consecutive duplicate cells from a list with Conditional Formatting

In Excel, to highlight the consecutive duplicate values, the Conditional Formatting feature may do you a favor, please do as follows:

1. Select the data list that you want to use, and click Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule, see screenshot:

click Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule

2. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, do the following operations:

(1.) Click Use a formula to determine which cells to format option under the Select a Rule Type;

(2.) In the Format values where this formula is true text box, please enter this formula: =OR($A1=$A2, $A2=$A3);

(3.) Then click Format button to go to the Format Cells dialog box;

(4.) In the popped out Format Cells dialog box, please choose one color you want to highlight the consecutive duplicate values under the Fill tab.

set options in the New Formatting Rule dialog box

3. After finishing the settings, then click OK > OK to exit the dialogs, and the consecutive duplicate cells have been highlighted at once, see screenshot:

the consecutive duplicate cells are highlighted

Note: With the above formula, you can highlight all the consecutive duplicate cells, if you want to highlight the consecutive duplicate cells without the first occurrences, please apply this formula: =$A1=$A2 in the Conditional Formatting, and you will get the following result:

apply another formula to highlight the consecutive duplicate cells without the first occurrences


arrow blue right bubble Highlight duplicate cells from a list with Kutools for Excel

If you have Kutools for Excel, with its Select Duplicate & Unique Cells utility, you can quickly highlight and select all the duplicate or unique values from a list as you need.

Kutools for Excel offers over 300 advanced features to streamline complex tasks, boosting creativity and efficiency. Enhanced with AI capabilities, Kutools automates tasks with precision, making data management effortless. Detailed information of Kutools for Excel...         Free trial...

After installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Select the data list that you want to select the duplicate cells, then click Kutools > Select > Select Duplicate & Unique Cells, see screenshot:

click Select Duplicate & Unique Cells feature of kutools

2. In the Select Duplicate & Unique Cells dialog box, please do as follows:

(1.) Select All duplicate (Including 1 st one) option from the Rule section;

(2.) Then choose a background color or font color that you want to highlight the duplicate cells under the Processing of results;

(3.) And then click Ok button, and all the duplicate values in the list have been selected and highlighted as you want. See screenshot:

specify options in the dialog box

Note: To highlight the duplicate cells without the first occurrences, please select Duplicates (Except 1 st one) in the Select Duplicate & Unique Cells dialog box, and you will return the following result:

set options to highlight the duplicate cells without the first occurrences

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Related article:

How to highlight consecutive or non-consecutive numbers from a column in Excel?

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