Searching, finding & deleting fuzzy duplicates and typos in Excel

Excel Fuzzy Duplicate Finder - find and delete duplicates, similar entries

Fuzzy Duplicate Finder for Microsoft® Excel®

For Microsoft Excel 2007, Excel 2003, Excel XP (2002), Excel 2000.

• Finding fuzzy duplicates
• Correcting fuzzy duplicates
• Removing duplicates

Back to Fuzzy Duplicates Finder homepage

Finding fuzzy duplicates

Open the Fuzzy Duplicate Finder pane by doing one of the following:
• Click on its icon
• Go to Excel menu -> Ablebits.com -> Fuzzy Duplicate Finder (in Excel 2003 - 2000 only).
• Press the Ctrl+Shift+F hotkey.
1. If you search for fuzzy duplicates in a single column, just place a cursor on any cell of that column. To search within several columns or any block of cells, just select them.
2. On the Fuzzy Duplicates Finder pane, on the Max number of different characters slide bar, set the maximum number of characters the entries may differ in (from one to six characters).
3. If you want to exclude one or several topmost rows from the search range (if the search range has column headers/names), check the Exclude header rows checkbox. You can specify the number of excluded rows in the Header rows count field.
4. Click on the Find Typos button.
5. All found items will be shown in a list grouped by duplicates (nodes). At the low-right corner of the add-in pane you can see the total number of found duplicates.

Correcting fuzzy duplicates

• Setting the right value to all items of the duplicate group (node).
• Setting the right value to some items of the node.
• Correcting one item of the node.

Setting the right value to all items of the duplicate group (node).

1. In a node, check the right entry (or right-click on the entry and select "Check item" from the pop-up menu). This value will be automatically assigned to all items of the node.
   
   
2. If the node doesn't contain the right entry, double-click on the header row of the node (Typo #). In the Right value column, type the right value. To finish up press Enter.
   
   
3. Click the Apply changes button on the Fuzzy Duplicate Finder toolbar to apply your changes to the Excel worksheet.

Setting the right value to some items of the node.

1. In a node, check the right entry and this value will be automatically assigned to all items of the node. Then uncheck the entries that you want to leave unchanged.
   
2. Click the Apply changes button on the Fuzzy Duplicate Finder toolbar to apply your changes to the Excel worksheet.

Correcting one item of the node

1. Double-click on the entry you want to correct. In the Right value column, type the right value. To finish up press Enter.
   
2. Click the Apply changes button on the Fuzzy Duplicate Finder toolbar to apply your changes to the Excel worksheet.

Removing duplicates

1. If you want to remove an entry from a list of found duplicates, just select it and press the Delete key. Note! The entry will not be removed from the worksheet.
2. If you want to remove an entry from your Excel worksheet, click on this item on the list of found items. The cursor will be automatically place on the corresponding cell of the worksheet. Right-click on the cell and select "Delete..." or "Clear content" from the pop-up menu.