Highlight unique values and unique distinct values in a cell range
The following formula highlights cells that contain unique distinct values, in other words, all duplicate values except the first instance are not highlighted.
Conditional formatting formula:
How to apply conditional formatting
- Select your range B2:E5.
- Go to "Home" tab on the ribbon.
- Click "Conditional formatting" button.
- Click "New Rule.."
- Click "Use a formula to determine what cells to format"
- Copy the conditional formatting formula above and paste to "Format values where this formula is true:"
- Click Format button
- Select a formatting.
- Click OK button.
- Click OK button.
Explaining CF formula in cell B2
There are two parts in this formula, one part determines if a value is a duplicate in the first column. The second part of the formula determines if a value is a duplicate in the remaining columns.
The reason the formula looks like this is because of the order of how Excel calculates cells.
IF(logical_expression, first_part, second_part)
Step 1 - Check if first column is being evaluated
The COLUMNS function counts columns in a cell reference. $A$1:A1 is an expanding cell reference, it grows because A1 is a relative cell reference that changes between cells.
COLUMNS($A$1:A1)=1
becomes
1=1 and returns TRUE.
Step 2 - Count cells based on a condition
The IF function changes the calculation based on the logical expression in the first argument. The second argument is calculated if the logical expression returns TRUE, the third argument is calculated if the logical expression returns FALSE.
The COUNTIF function makes sure that duplicates are not highlighted, only the first instance of each value. However this works only in the first column, the remaining columns need a different formula in order to do correct calculations.
IF(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)=1,COUNTIF($B$2:B2,B2),COUNTIF($B$2:B2,B2)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5,,,4,COLUMNS($A$1:A1)-1),B2))=1
becomes
IF(TRUE,COUNTIF($B$2:B2,B2),...)=1
becomes
IF(TRUE,COUNTIF(0,0),...)=1
becomes
1=1
and returns TRUE. Cell B2 is highlighted.
Step 3 - Calculations in remaining columns
If we move to cell C2 the IF function behaves differently.
IF(COLUMNS($A$1:A1)=1, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, COLUMNS($A$1:B1)-1), C2))=1
becomes
IF(COLUMNS($A$1:B1)=1, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2),COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, COLUMNS($A$1:B1)-1), C2))=1
becomes
IF(2=1, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, COLUMNS($A$1:B1)-1), C2))=1
becomes
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, COLUMNS($A$1:B1)-1), C2))=1
becomes
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), COUNTIF({0,6}, 6)+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, COLUMNS($A$1:B1)-1), C2))=1
The OFFSET function returns an expanding cell reference that grows as the CF moves from column to column.
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), 1+COUNTIF(OFFSET($B$2:$E$5, , , 4, 1), C2))=1
becomes
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), 1+COUNTIF($B$2:$B$5, C2))=1
becomes
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), 1+COUNTIF({0;11;14;16},6))=1
becomes
IF(FALSE, COUNTIF($B$2:C2, C2), 1+0)=1
becomes
1=1 and returns TRUE. Cell C2 is highlighted.
Download Excel file
highlight unique distinct values in a range.xlsx
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When you modify to use anything other than the 'A' column the first instance of duplicate does not highlight. Using the example simply move 'tbl' one column to the right to see.
Regards
Dave