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Free Remove Duplicate Lines Tool

Paste a list to remove duplicate lines, keeping the first occurrence of each. Options let you ignore case and trim spaces.

Quick answer

This tool removes repeated lines from text, keeping the first time each line appears and preserving the original order. You can optionally ignore capitalization and trim leading or trailing spaces so near-identical lines are treated as duplicates.

Formula & method

The text is split into lines. Each line is compared to the ones already kept; if it’s new, it stays, and if it’s a repeat, it’s dropped. With “ignore case” on, lines are compared without regard to capitalization; with “trim spaces” on, leading and trailing whitespace is ignored in the comparison. Order is preserved and the original lines are kept as written.

Examples

Example 1: Simple list
Input
apple, banana, apple, cherry
Result
apple, banana, cherry
Why
The second “apple” is removed; order is kept.
Example 2: Ignore case
Input
Apple, apple (ignore case on)
Result
Apple
Why
Treated as the same line, so only the first stays.
Example 3: Counting
Input
100 lines, 30 repeated
Result
70 unique lines, 30 removed
Why
The tool reports how many duplicates it removed.

When to use this tool

  • Cleaning a pasted list of emails, names, or URLs.
  • Deduping keywords or tags before using them.
  • Tidying log lines or exported data.

Common mistakes

  • Forgetting that, by default, “Apple” and “apple” are different unless you enable ignore-case.
  • Trailing spaces making otherwise-identical lines look unique — enable trim to merge them.
  • Expecting it to sort the lines. It preserves order; it doesn’t reorder.

Frequently asked questions

How does removing duplicate lines work?

Each line is kept the first time it appears and dropped on any repeat. The original order of the remaining lines is preserved.

Can it ignore capitalization?

Yes. Turn on “ignore case” to treat lines like “Apple” and “apple” as duplicates.

What about extra spaces?

Enable “trim spaces” to ignore leading and trailing whitespace when comparing lines.

Does it sort the lines?

No. It only removes duplicates and keeps the original order.

Is my list uploaded?

No. Everything runs in your browser, so your list stays on your device.

Can this remove duplicates from a spreadsheet or CSV?

Yes, if you paste the rows one per line. For complex CSV data with multiple columns, you may need to import into a spreadsheet tool that can de-duplicate by specific columns.

Does this preserve the order of lines?

Yes. The tool keeps the original order and removes only the duplicate occurrences, leaving the first instance of each line intact.

  • ✓ Free to use
  • ✓ No sign-up required
  • ✓ Runs entirely in your browser — nothing is uploaded.
  • ✓ Formula and method shown above
Last updated: How we calculateReport a correctionDisclaimer

Provided “as is” for general information only — results may be inaccurate, so verify before you rely on them. No warranty; use at your own risk.

Built and reviewed by HIFreeTools against the formula shown above and any authoritative references cited on this page. See our methodology and editorial standards.

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Embed this tool on your site

Free to embed, no sign-up. Paste this code where you want the remove duplicate lines to appear: