Remove duplicate rows

Remove duplicate transaction rows from the master ledger. Treat duplicates as rows matching on TransactionID, Date, AccountCode, and Amount. Keep the earliest-imported row and remove subsequent exact duplicates. Run this on the sheet named MasterLedger, then save a copy named MasterLedger_dedup_2026-07-17 and give me the number of rows removed.

Before I apply the dedupe, make it easy for reviewers to understand what will be removed: mark suspected duplicates with a helper column showing which fields matched, show a preview of the top 20 duplicate groups, and let me approve or reject groups before deletion. Produce the approved-dedupe copy and a short log of removed TransactionIDs.

I ran a dedupe routine and the sheet totals dropped more than I expected. I am afraid I removed rows that were similar but intentionally separate, and I cannot tell which ones without restoring backups. What diagnostic steps quickly show whether the deletions were correct and the best reversible fix if they were not, before I tell Finance anything?

We keep losing time because we run dedupe steps without context and then reconcile differences with Finance. I want to prevent wrong deletions and speed reconciliations. Recommend one change to our dedupe procedure and one small control to add to the ledger that prevents accidental loss of distinct transactions.