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How to dynamically extract a list of unique values from a column range in Excel?

For a column range which the values are changing regularly, and you always need to get all the unique values from the range no matter how it changed. How to make a dynamical list of unique values? This article will show you how to deal with it.

Dynamically extract a list of unique values from a column range with formula
Dynamically extract a list of unique values from a column range with VBA code


Dynamically extract a list of unique values from a column range with formula

As below screenshot shown, you need to dynamically extract a list of unique values from range B2:B9. Please try the following array formula.

1. Select a blank cell such as D2, enter the below formula into it and press the Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys simultaneously. (B2:B9 is the column data which you want to extract the unique values, D1 is the above cell where your formula is located)

=IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$9, MATCH(0,COUNTIF($D$1:D1, $B$2:$B$9), 0)),"")

2. Keep selecting cell D2, then drag the Fill Handle down to get all unique values from the specified range.

Now all unique values in column range B2:B9 are extracted. When values in this range changed, the unique value list will be dynamically changed immediately.

Easily select and highlight all unique values in a range in excel:

The Select Duplicate & Unique Cells utility of Kutools for Excel can help you easily select and highlight all unique values (include the first duplicates) or the unique values that appear only once, as well as duplicate values as you need as below screenshot shown.
Download Kutools for Excel now! (30-day free trail)


Dynamically extract a list of unique values from a column range with VBA code

You can also extract a list of unique values dynamically from a column range with the following VBA code.

1. Press Alt + F11 keys simultaneously to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, click Insert > Module. Then copy and paste the below VBA code into the Module window.

VBA code: Extract a list of unique values from a range

Sub CreateUniqueList()
Dim xRng As Range
Dim xLastRow As Long
Dim xLastRow2 As Long
Dim I As Integer
On Error Resume Next
Set xRng = Application.InputBox("Please select range:", "Kutools for Excel", Selection.Address, , , , , 8)
If xRng Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
On Error Resume Next
xRng.Copy Range("D2")
xLastRow = xRng.Rows.Count + 1
ActiveSheet.Range("D2:D" & xLastRow).RemoveDuplicates Columns:=1, Header:=xlNo
xLastRow2 = Cells(Rows.Count, "B").End(xlUp).Row
For I = 1 To xLastRow2
  If ActiveSheet.Range("D2:D" & xLastRow2).Cells(I).Value = "" Then
     ActiveSheet.Range("D2:D" & xLastRow2).Cells(I).Delete
  End If
Next
End Sub

Note: In the code, D2 is the cell you will locate the unique value list. You can change it as you need.

3. Go back to the worksheet, click Insert > Shapes > Rectangle. See screenshot:

4. Draw a rectangle in your worksheet, then enter some words you need to display on it. Then right click it and select Assign Macro from the right-clicking menu. In the Assign Macro dialog box, select the CreateUniqueList in the Macro name box, and then click the OK button. See screenshot:

5. Now click on the rectangle button, a Kutools for Excel dialog box pops up, please select the range contains unique values you need to extract, and then click the OK button.

From now on, you can repeat the above step 5 to update the unique value list automatically.


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Comments (35)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
con este procedimiento de filtro se hace de forma muy rapida

1.EN ESTE EJEMPLO los datos a remover los duplicados estan en la col A de la fila 59 a la 239
2. se define un criterio de filtrado en este caso en la fila d56 el mismo titulo de la lista a remover duplicados y la d57 la dejo en blanco
3. una vez ejecutado se muestran los datos en la fila destino, que en mi caso fue la d59

Range("A59:A239").AdvancedFilter Action:=xlFilterCopy, CriteriaRange:=Range _
("D56:D57"), CopyToRange:=Range("D59"), Unique:=True
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I would like to be able to do this exact same thing, except using two separate column ranges (B2:B9) as well as (D2:D9) is this possible?
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi Anthony,
You can place the results in the same column as the original data. Such as column B in this case.
But you need to reference the top cell of the result cell in the formula as follows.
=IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$9, MATCH(0,COUNTIF($B$11:B11, $B$2:$B$9), 0)),"") + Ctrl + Shift + Enter
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Ik heb gemerkt dat de 'formule'-methode erg traag werkt bij grote datasets. Een goed alternatief is het gebruik van een draaitabel. Kies dan alleen de rijlabels, je krijgt dan een lijstje met unieke waarden. Het kan zijn dat je wat extra's krijgt "(leeg)" bijvoorbeeld. Je kunt deze er vervolgens uitfilteren. Helaas kun je maar op 1 criterium filteren. Ook daar zijn wel weer oplossingen voor, maar dat is wat complexer.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
how to make the vba code work for a range where another formula was used?on column B I have a formula, referring to columns D and E.
If I use apply the code to column L (let's say), (obviously, properly modifying the cells in the code) the macro returns the formula applied to columns M and N... It works, then, but not as I want!How to keep the values in column B?thanks
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
thank you very much
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I try the VBA Code and the formula. The code VBA is working very well but I can't keep a file with macro. But th problem is that I can't make the formula working. Did anybody have an idea ? Thank you
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi Charlotte,
Thank you for your comment. You can keep the file with macro for future use by saving the workbook as an Excel Macro-Enabled Workbook.
For the formula problem, would you please provide a screenshot of your data? Thank you for your comment.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I'm using that =IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$9, MATCH(0,COUNTIF($D$1:D1, $B$2:$B$9), 0)),"") formula which is great for one column but my data is spread across a range of columns and rows. Can I edit the formula to include the whole area? My data lives from AC4 to AR60...
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi, thank you for your help.
Now, how can I have my values also sorted alphabetically? (I do not want to use the filter on my master table)
Should I use a COUNTIFS instead of COUNTIF?
Please HELP
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi Alexis,
Sorry can't hep to sort the extracted value alphabetically at the same time with formula. Thank you for your comment.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I am trying to drag the formula down past my actual data so that I can input different sized data sets and not have to adjust anything. However, the last row after my actual data ends always returns a "0". I am using the unique values for something else in an adjacent column, and the 0 causes the last value to repeated (When I delete the 0 the value is no longer repeated). Any idea how to fix this? Also I am using Office 365 Business
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
If I do this for a thousand row excel sheet on the latest version of Excel on a Mac, it never returns. The first row works, but when I duplicate down, excel goes into a compute mode that has not returned values for over two hours now.

Any thoughts on how to do this for large lists (up to 2k rows) that will return 50 or 60 unique values?

I mocked this up in the "Numbers" app, and it's working perfectly there, taking only a couple minutes to calculate. It's just taking so long in Excel that I wonder if it will ever complete. I plan on letting it "run" overnight to see what will happen.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Check your Calculating options. It needs to be set to automatic. File > Options > Formulas > Calculating options > Workbook Calculation (Automatic selection)
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