How to Use the Unique Function in Google Sheets

The unique function in Google Sheets can be very useful – when applied to a list with multiple entries that repeat, it provides a second list that only features one of each entry. This means that if you have a list featuring multiple sign-ins from multiple people, you can use the unique function to find out who signed in.

The result of the unique function is a list featuring one copy of each name on the list, without any duplicates. Here’s how to do it.

Step 1: Ready List

Make sure your list is ready and each entry is in one field of your Google Sheet. It doesn’t matter how long your list is, just make sure you know the cells it is located in – you’ll need to enter the range later.

Step 2: Enter Function

The function you need to use is “=UNIQUE(X)”. Copy it without the quotation marks and replace X with the cells that you want to unique. You’ll have to enter the function into the cell where you want your uniqued list to start – click on it and enter it, before selecting the range of cells you want to unique.

Step 3: Select Range

The range you want to unique has to be expressed like this: “A1:A50”, with the letters and numbers corresponding to the relevant cells. A fully filled out unique function might look like this:

=UNIQUE(A2:A39)

Press enter after closing the bracket and you will see the results of the unique list.