Excel comparison example

Match rows with more than one column

An order with two products has two rows with the same Order ID. That column alone cannot tell RowKite which line items belong together. In this example, Order ID plus SKU uniquely identifies each line item, even when the row order changes. All Amount values in both files are in USD. Use the same currency in your own files; RowKite does not convert currencies.

Download the sample files

These fictional records are safe to use for practice. Each file contains only the data shown in this tutorial.

What is in the sample files

Reference file

Order IDSKUQuantityAmount
SO001P01220
SO001P02115
SO002P01330

Comparison file

Order IDSKUQuantityAmount
SO001P02230
SO002P01330
SO001P01220

Follow these steps

  1. Check what each row represents

    Each row here is an order line item. SO001 contains P01 and P02, so Order ID is not unique. Both files need to represent records at the same level of detail.

  2. Choose the files and Line items sheet

    Add baseline.xlsx as the Reference file and target.xlsx under Files to compare. Select Line items in both files. The first 10 rows are available in the source preview.

  3. Select two matching columns

    Under Match rows by, select both Order ID and SKU. Both values must match to identify the same record. The matching key check scans all data rows, not just the preview.

  4. Compare Quantity and Amount

    Under Columns to compare, select Quantity and Amount. Keep Raw values, then click Compare files. The P02 line in SO001 changed; the other two line items stayed the same.

  5. Resolve any remaining duplicate combinations

    If the same order and SKU still appear on multiple rows in your data, add a line item ID or another stable column. You can use up to three matching columns. Review the issues and correct the source data if combinations still repeat; RowKite does not pick an arbitrary first row.

Expected results

Match rows by: Order ID + SKU. Columns to compare: Quantity, Amount.

RecordResultWhat changed
SO001 + P01SameQuantity is 2 and Amount is 20. A different row position does not affect matching.
SO001 + P02ChangedQuantity changed from 1 to 2; Amount changed from 15 to 30.
SO002 + P01SameQuantity is 3 and Amount is 30.

Before using your own files

  • This combination is unique in the example. Check the level of detail in your own files before choosing the same columns.
  • A column cannot be used for both matching and comparison. To check whether a value changed, match records using other stable columns.
  • Blank or duplicate matching values need review. Update the matching columns and check again before interpreting the differences.

Limits: 2–5 .xlsx files, 10 MiB per file, 30 MiB total, 10,000 rows and 50 columns per sheet, and 1 million populated cells across all files. Refreshing, closing the page, or leaving the workspace clears the current files.

Read the full guide and comparison rules · Learn how files and results are handled

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