Skip to content
Free Excel Tutorials
  • Home
  • Excel For Beginners
  • Excel Intermediate
  • Advanced Excel For Experts

Data Analysis

  • How to count table columns in Excel
  • Understanding Pivot Tables in Excel
  • Randomize/ Shuffle List in Excel
  • Excel Frequency Function Example
  • How to calculate correlation coefficient Correlation in Excel

References

  • Merge tables with VLOOKUP in Excel
  • LOOKUP function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Multi-criteria lookup and transpose in Excel
  • CHOOSE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Excel Advanced Lookup using Index and Match Functions

Data Validations

  • Excel Data validation allow weekday only
  • Excel Data validation exists in list
  • Excel Data validation number multiple 100
  • How To Create Drop-down List in Excel
  • Prevent invalid data entering in specific cells

Excel Data validation require unique number

by

Set criteria to accept only unique number, ie no duplicate.

To allow only unique numbers in a given range, you can use data validation with a custom formula based on the AND, ISNUMBER, and COUNTIF functions.

Formula

=AND(ISNUMBER(A1),COUNTIF(range,A1)<2)

Cell references in data validation formulas are relative to the upper left cell in the range selected when the validation rule is defined, in this case B5.

Explanation

In the example shown, the data validation applied to B5:B9 is:

=AND(ISNUMBER(B5),COUNTIF(ids,B5)<2)

where ids is the named range B5:B9.

How this formula works

Data validation rules are triggered when a user adds or changes a cell value.

The AND function takes multiple arguments (logical expressions) and returns TRUE only when all arguments return TRUE. In this case, we need two conditions:

Logical 1 tests if the input is a number using the ISNUMBER function:

ISNUMBER(B5)

The ISNUMBER function returns TRUE when a value is numeric and FALSE if not.

Logical 2 tests checks that the input doesn’t already exist in the named range “ids”:

COUNTIF(ids,B5)<2

COUNTIF returns a count of the value in B5 inside the named range ids (B5:B9). If the count is less than 2, the logical expression returns TRUE.

If both logical expressions return TRUE, the AND function returns TRUE and validation succeeds:

=AND(TRUE,TRUE) // validation successful

If either logical returns FALSE, data validation fails.

Note: Be aware that numeric input includes dates and times, whole numbers, and decimal values.

Post navigation

Previous Post:

DECIMAL function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Next Post:

AVERAGE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Leave a Reply Cancel reply

Your email address will not be published. Required fields are marked *

Learn Basic Excel

Ribbon
Workbook
Worksheets
Format Cells
Find & Select
Sort & Filter
Templates
Print
Share
Protect
Keyboard Shortcuts

Categories

  • Charts
  • Data Analysis
  • Data Validation
  • Excel Functions
    • Cube Functions
    • Database Functions
    • Date and Time Functions
    • Engineering Functions
    • Financial Functions
    • Information Functions
    • Logical Functions
    • Lookup and Reference Functions
    • Math and Trig Functions
    • Statistical Functions
    • Text Functions
    • Web Functions
  • Excel VBA
  • Excel Video Tutorials
  • Formatting
  • Grouping
  • Others

Logical Functions

  • Excel If, Nested If, And/Or Criteria Examples
  • IF with boolean logic in Excel
  • How to use Excel XOR Function
  • TRUE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Nested IF function example in Excel

Date Time

  • YEARFRAC function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Display Days in month in Excel
  • Add days exclude certain days of week in Excel
  • Check If Two Dates are same month in Excel
  • DAYS function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Grouping

  • How to randomly assign people to groups in Excel
  • Categorize text with keywords in Excel
  • If cell contains one of many things in Excel
  • Group numbers with VLOOKUP in Excel
  • Map text to numbers in Excel

General

  • Split Cell Content Using Text to Columns in Excel
  • Currency vs Accounting Format in Excel
  • How to create dynamic worksheet reference in Excel
  • How to calculate percent change in Excel
  • Transpose: Switch ‘Rows to Columns’ or ‘Columns to Rows’ in Excel
© 2026 xlsoffice . All Right Reserved. | Teal Smiles | Abbreviations And Their Meaning