Excel's FILTER, UNIQUE and SORT Functions Let One Formula Replace Many

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Data analyst Michael Nocito published a tutorial on August 8, 2026, explaining how Excel's dynamic array functions — UNIQUE, SORT, and FILTER — can be combined into a single formula. The feature, called spilling, allows one formula entered in a single cell to automatically populate multiple cells below it with results. Using a sixteen-row sample orders table, Nocito demonstrates how chaining these functions eliminates manual tasks like de-duplicating columns or sorting data by hand. The spilled range resizes automatically when source data changes, removing the need for repeated formula edits. The functions require a current version of Excel, and users on older versions will see a #NAME? error if their software does not support dynamic arrays.

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