Answer

The shortcut for opening the Remove Duplicates tool in Excel is Alt + A + M on Windows.

The feature removes repeated records in a selected range by keeping the first occurrence and clearing the others.

How to remove duplicates using keyboard shortcuts (Windows)

1. Select the full data range that contains potential duplicates.

2. Press Alt to activate the ribbon.

3. Press A to open the Data tab.

4. Press M to open the Remove Duplicates dialog box.

5. Select the columns to evaluate for duplicates.

6. Press Enter to remove duplicate records.

The sequence removes duplicate rows by scanning the chosen columns and clearing repeated entries while keeping one instance.

How to remove duplicates using keyboard shortcuts (Mac)

Mac does not support a dedicated shortcut sequence identical to Windows.
The fastest method uses the Ribbon:

1. Highlight the data range.

2. Press Command + Shift + * to select the current region if needed.

3. Press Control + Option + R to navigate to the ribbon using keyboard control.

4. Select Data, then choose Remove Duplicates with arrow keys.

5. Press Space to open the dialog.

6. Pick the columns and press Return.

Mac’s keyboard navigation behaves differently because the ribbon access keys use control-based navigation instead of Alt-based navigation.

How to remove duplicates using the right-click menu

The context menu gives a second fast method:

1. Highlight your data range.

2. Right-click within the selection.

3. Pick Data from the menu.

4. Choose Remove Duplicates.

5. Confirm the column choices and finish.

The menu triggers the same internal function used in the ribbon command.

What happens after removing duplicates?

Excel returns a message that states:

• How many duplicate values were removed?

• How many unique values remain?

The message confirms the exact number of cleaned entries and the size of the final dataset.

Best practices for managing duplicates

1. Create a backup copy before cleaning data.

2. Apply filters to review values before deleting.

3. Use Conditional Formatting → Highlight Duplicate Values when verification is needed.

4. Use structured tables for large datasets because Excel handles duplicates faster in tables.

5. Evaluate all relevant columns to prevent unintended deletion.

The structure improves data reliability and minimizes errors caused by accidental removal.

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