How to Merge Duplicate Rows in Excel (Roll Up by Key)
You have several rows for the same customer and want one line with the numbers added and the notes combined — but Remove Duplicates just deletes the extras and loses their data. Here's why, and the one-click roll-up.
Last updated: August 2026
| Account & amount | Merged | |
|---|---|---|
| Acme — 100 | → | Acme — 150 |
| Acme — 50 | → | |
| Globex — 40 | → | Globex — 40 |
Why Remove Duplicates loses your data
Excel's Remove Duplicates keeps the first matching row and throws the others away — fine for a plain de-dupe, but their amounts and notes go with them. To actually roll the rows up you'd build a PivotTable, or wire a SUMIF to add the numbers and a TEXTJOIN with an array to concatenate the text, each anchored to an absolute range that breaks when the data changes shape. It's a lot of scaffolding for "one row per key".
The 1-click way — Tellsheet's Merge Duplicates
Select the range and run Merge Duplicates. Pick the key column and it collapses every matching row into one — joining the other columns' distinct values or summing their numbers, your choice per column. It's the roll-up companion to Remove Duplicates: nothing is silently dropped, and there's no PivotTable to set up. Everything runs on your device. Pairs with Remove Duplicates and Highlight Duplicates.
Frequently asked questions
How do I merge rows with the same value?
Merge Duplicates collapses every row that shares your key column into one, joining the other columns' values or summing their numbers.
How is this different from Remove Duplicates?
Remove Duplicates deletes the extra rows and loses their data. Merge Duplicates rolls them up, so two amounts become one summed line.
Can it sum numbers and join text at once?
Yes — numeric columns can be summed while text columns are joined from their distinct values, in the same pass.
Do I need a PivotTable or formulas?
No — the roll-up happens in one click, on your device, without a PivotTable or a SUMIF and TEXTJOIN combination.
Related Excel guides
Roll up duplicate rows in one click
Merge Duplicates collapses rows sharing a key into one — joining values or summing numbers — offline, with no PivotTable.
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