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

Data Analysis

  • How to conditionally sum numeric data in an Excel table using SUMIFS
  • Conditional Formatting Data bars Examples in Excel
  • Create Scatter Chart in Excel
  • Reverse List in Excel
  • How to Create One and Two Variable Data Tables in Excel

References

  • How to create dynamic named range with OFFSET in Excel
  • How to get first row number in range in Excel
  • Basic INDEX MATCH approximate in Excel
  • How to get address of last cell in range in Excel
  • How to reference named range different sheet in Excel

Data Validations

  • Excel Data validation don’t exceed total
  • Excel Data validation specific characters only
  • Excel Data validation must begin with
  • Excel Data validation date in specific year
  • 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

  • TRUE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • IF function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • SWITCH function example in Excel
  • FALSE function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • AND function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation

Date Time

  • Convert decimal minutes to Excel time
  • NETWORKDAYS function: Description, Usage, Syntax, Examples and Explanation
  • Add days to date in Excel
  • Get fiscal quarter from date in Excel
  • Get days, hours, and minutes between dates in Excel

Grouping

  • Categorize text with keywords in Excel
  • How to randomly assign people to groups in Excel
  • Calculate conditional mode with criteria in Excel
  • Map text to numbers in Excel
  • Group arbitrary text values in Excel

General

  • Find, Select, Replace and Go To Special in Excel
  • Spell Check in Excel
  • Common Errors in Excel
  • How to test a range for numbers in Excel
  • List worksheet index numbers in Excel
© 2026 xlsoffice . All Right Reserved. | Teal Smiles | Abbreviations And Their Meaning