If you’re part of the corporate world, you’re probably using emails more for communicating than SMS. In fact, most professional settings only consider emails to be the best way of communicating because they’re fast and reliable. Also, it has so many features that’re useful in the corporate world.
However, it can get a little too taxing to organize the lists of email addresses for all your contacts. You’re in luck because this blog post will show you how you can use the different methods in Excel to manage multiple email addresses.
Method 1: Using Conditional Formatting
The conditional formatting option is a method you can use to delete duplicate emails from your list. To use this, you need to choose the cells that contain the e-mail addresses as well as those areas that are likely to be associated with them. Then go up on the “Home” tab and choose Conditional Formatting from the menu choices available in that group. At this point, the solution for you is “Highlight Cell Rules,” followed by “Duplicate Values.” With just a click of a button, you can automatically highlight those duplicate email addresses in your contact list, thereby helping you maintain the accuracy of your contact list.
Method 2: Using the VLOOKUP Function
The VLOOKUP function is another way to compare your two lists of email addresses. But to do this, you should have two separate columns for each set of email lists then you must first add a new column to show the comparison results of the email addresses. Input this formula in the new column: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,$B$2:$B$1000,1,FALSE)),”Not Found”,”Found”)
We’ll show this formula in detail, so it’s easy to understand. The VLOOKUP function is used to find a value. For example, if you’re looking for the email address in cell A2 throughout the second email address list (B2:B1000). After completing its search, the IF function, when paired with the “(search)” function, instructs us on how to handle the search results. This handling depends on whether the underscore read from the leftmost column in the “Match Type” range signifies an exact match (“1” for Exact Match) or the first leftmost column in the range. If the string is not an exact match, all subsequent words are ignored. The mean return value of the first column is then determined based on this context.
In the list, if there is an error marked as “N/A,” pay attention to the differences. Numbers like 0 and 1 are distinct and can result in an #N/A error under the ‘Match Type’ category. This error indicates that the function will show an error if it cannot find a match. Otherwise, it will display the number from cell B2 to signify a match. In the case of no match, it will show “Not Found”; otherwise, it will display “Found.”. VLOOKUP can truly make the cross-matching process like a walk in the park for anyone, even the not-so-techy ones.
Method 3: Using the COUNTIF Function
When it comes to searching for email addresses in a list, the COUNTIF function in Excel proves to be quite effective. Simply enter the formula =COUNTIF(A:A,A2) in the cell adjacent to the email address you’re interested in (let’s say cell A2). This formula calculates how many times the email address in cell A2 appears in column A. This information is invaluable, as it helps you identify duplicate email addresses and ensures the integrity of your mailing list.
By using the COUNTIF function, you can quickly determine if there are any duplicate entries in your list or if your mailing list is in good shape. This feature doesn’t just make managing email addresses easier—it also helps you keep your database clean and accurate.
Streamlining Your Workflow
Excel is such a powerful tool, and because people are subject to error, their data (or the data they collect) is often incorrect. This is why it’s good news that Excel was invented to eliminate human error and increase accuracy while streamlining the process to make that easier for everyone. These handy tricks are you’re best friends when you’re cleaning up your address book or verifying data within it.
There’s no special skill required to handle enormous databases in Excel. If you get a list of active email addresses free you’re dealing with hundreds of names (or even just trying to find an email). Don’t you think that would in and of itself soon wear you out? By using these techniques, your mailing list will be up-to-date and correct down to the last detail.