Understanding spreadsheet differences
A row-wise comparison asks two questions: which rows represent the same record, and which values changed after those rows were matched?
Matching comes first
Rowwise builds a key from the columns you select. The same key in File A and File B means those rows are compared cell by cell. A key should be stable across file versions and unique within each file.
| Status | Meaning | What to check |
|---|---|---|
| Changed | The key exists in both files, but one or more compared values differ. | Review highlighted cells and old/new values. |
| New | The key appears only in the new file. | Confirm it is a genuinely added record. |
| Missing | The key appears only in the old file. | Check whether the record was removed or its key changed. |
| Duplicate | The key occurs more than once in either file, or is empty. | Choose a more specific key or repair the source data. |
Why a row can look new and missing
If the value used as a key changes, the comparison cannot know that the old and new rows are the same record. It correctly reports the old key as Missing and the new key as New. Choose a stable identifier whenever possible.
Reduce expected noise
Excluded columns remain in the result but do not create differences. Use this for fields such as “last updated” timestamps. Value exceptions are more precise: they ignore only a named change in one column and one direction. Avoid broad exclusions that could hide important changes.
Review before exporting
Use search and the changed-column filter to narrow the result. The synchronized side-by-side view is useful for context, while the detailed view is better for auditing specific changes. Excel exports preserve yellow highlighting; CSV exports record the status and changed-column names as text.