Remove duplicate rows from table in Word document (Full Guide)

Duplicate rows in a Word table can make your document confusing, unprofessional, and harder to analyze—especially when dealing with copied data, imported reports, or survey results. Unfortunately, Microsoft Word does not provide a built-in “Remove Duplicates” feature for tables like Excel does.
The good news? You still have several reliable ways to clean up duplicate rows in Word. Below are three practical methods, from beginner-friendly to advanced automation, each with clear, step-by-step instructions.

Remove duplicate rows from table in Word

• Method 1: By using Excel from one table
• Method 2: By using VBA code from one or all tables
• Method 3: By using Kutools for Word from one or all tables

Conclusion

Method 1: Remove Duplicate Rows by Using Excel

Since Microsoft Excel is designed for data management, the most reliable way to handle duplicates is to briefly move your table into Excel and then bring it back.

1. Copy the Table:
   In Word, hover over your table and click the crosshair icon at the top-left to select the entire table. Press Ctrl + C.
   
2. Paste into Excel:
   Open a blank Excel workbook, select cell A1, and press Ctrl + V.
3. Remove Duplicates in Excel:
   • Highlight the data range.
   • Go to the Data tab in the top ribbon.
   • Click on Remove Duplicates in the DataTools group.
   • Ensure all columns are checked and click OK.
     
   • Excel will display how many duplicate rows were removed.
     
4. Transfer Back:
   Copy the cleaned data in Excel, go back to your Word document, delete the old table, and press Ctrl + V to paste the unique rows.

Method 2: Remove Duplicate Rows By using VBA code (From one or all tables)

If you frequently work with large Word tables and want an in-document automation, VBA is an option. This method compares rows and deletes duplicates directly inside Word.

This VBA code allows you to remove duplicate rows from a specific table or from all tables in the current Word document, keeping only the first occurrence of each unique row.

1. Press Alt + F11 to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.
2. Click Insert > Module to create a new module. Copy and paste the following VBA code into the module window.

   Public Sub DeleteDuplicateRowsClean()
       Dim xTable As Table
       Dim xDic As Object
       Dim i As Long, j As Long
       Dim xStr As String
   
       If ActiveDocument.Tables.Count = 0 Then
           MsgBox "There is no table in this file", vbInformation, "Kutoolsfor word"
           Exit Sub
       End If
   
       Set xDic = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
       Application.ScreenUpdating = False
       If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) Then
           ProcessTable Selection.Tables(1), xDic
       Else
           For i = 1 To ActiveDocument.Tables.Count
               ProcessTable ActiveDocument.Tables(i), xDic
               xDic.RemoveAll
           Next i
       End If
   
       Application.ScreenUpdating = True
       MsgBox "Complete!", vbInformation
   End Sub
   
   
   Private Sub ProcessTable(targetTable As Table, dic As Object)
       Dim r As Long
       Dim rowText As String
   
       For r = targetTable.Rows.Count To 1 Step -1
           rowText = targetTable.Rows(r).Range.Text
           If dic.Exists(rowText) Then
               targetTable.Rows(r).Delete
           Else
               dic.Add rowText, True
           End If
       Next r
   End Sub
         

3. Close the code window, do one of the following options:
   • To remove duplicates from a specific table:
     Click anywhere inside the target table.
   • To remove duplicates from all tables:
     Make sure the cursor is not inside any table.
4. Press Alt + F8, select the DeleteDuplicateRowsClean macro, and click Run.

Result:
Duplicate rows are automatically removed from the selected table or from all tables in the document.

Public Sub DeleteDuplicateRowsIgnoreCase()
    Dim xTable As Table
    Dim xDic As Object
    Dim i As Long

    If ActiveDocument.Tables.Count = 0 Then
        MsgBox "There are no tables", vbInformation, "Kutoolsfor word"
        Exit Sub
    End If
    Set xDic = CreateObject("Scripting.Dictionary")
    xDic.CompareMode = 1

    Application.ScreenUpdating = False

    If Selection.Information(wdWithInTable) Then
        ProcessTable Selection.Tables(1), xDic
    Else
        For i = 1 To ActiveDocument.Tables.Count
            xDic.RemoveAll
            ProcessTable ActiveDocument.Tables(i), xDic
        Next i
    End If

    Application.ScreenUpdating = True
    MsgBox "complete", vbInformation
End Sub

Private Sub ProcessTable(targetTable As Table, dic As Object)
    Dim r As Long
    Dim rowText As String
    For r = targetTable.Rows.Count To 1 Step -1
        rowText = targetTable.Rows(r).Range.Text
        If dic.Exists(rowText) Then
            targetTable.Rows(r).Delete
        Else
            dic.Add rowText, True
        End If
    Next r
End Sub
    

Method 3: Remove Duplicate Rows / Columns Using Kutools for Word (From One or All Tables)

If you are looking for the fastest and most user-friendly way to remove duplicate rows in Word tables, Kutools for Word is the ideal solution. Unlike manual methods or VBA scripts, Kutools provides a feature that allows you to clean data from a single table or all tables in the document with just a few clicks. No coding, no copying to Excel, and no complex setup—making it especially suitable for users who frequently work with large or multiple tables and want accurate results instantly.

After downloading and installing Kutools for Word, please do with the following steps:

1. Go to Kutools Plus tab, and then click Table > Delete Blank Rows/Columns to open the dialog box.
   
2. In the Delete Blank or Duplicate Rows/Columnsin Table dialog box, specify the following options:
   1. Choose the scope (Look in)
      In the Look in drop-down list, select one of the following options:
      • Selected table(s) – Removes duplicate rows only from the tables you have selected.
      • All tables in active document – Removes duplicate rows from all tables in the current document.
   2. Specify the delete type, select Row or Column you want to delete.
   3. Select Duplicate row / column to indicate you want to remove duplicated rows or columns.
   4. Set optional options
      • Case sensitive (optional):
        Enable this if you want Kutools to treat text with different letter cases as different values.
      • Delete blank rows (optional):
        Check this option if you also want to remove empty rows at the same time.
   5. Click OK.
      

Result:
Kutools will instantly scan the specified table(s) and remove duplicate rows or columns you specified.

Conclusion

Removing duplicate rows from tables in Word can be challenging because Word does not offer a built-in deduplication tool. However, by choosing the right method, you can clean your data efficiently and accurately.

• Using Excel is a reliable option when working with a single table and handling large amounts of data, especially if you prefer a familiar, no-code approach.
• Using VBA code is suitable for advanced users who want to automate the process and remove duplicate rows from one or all tables, but it requires technical knowledge and macro-enabled documents.
• Using Kutools for Word is the fastest and most user-friendly solution, allowing you to remove duplicate rows from one or all tables with just a few clicks, without Excel or VBA.

By selecting the method that best matches your skill level and document complexity, you can keep your Word tables clean, accurate, and easy to manage—saving time and avoiding repetitive manual work.