About the Merge Text Lists
You have two lists, one item per line, and you want one. Maybe two mailing lists, two sets of keywords or two columns of names copied from different sources. This tool merges them in the way you choose: both lists one after the other with repeats removed, one after the other with repeats kept, taking turns with one item from each, or taking turns with repeats removed. You can sort the result A to Z and decide whether capital letters count when comparing. The count of items and of repeats removed is shown. Everything runs in your browser.
Updated October 2026
How to use the Merge Text Lists
- 1Paste the first list into the first box, one item per line.
- 2Paste the second list into the second box.
- 3Choose how to merge: one after the other, or taking turns.
- 4Decide whether to sort and whether to ignore capital letters.
- 5Copy the merged list or download it.
Choosing the merge
Use the one-after-the-other mode with repeats removed to build a combined, de-duplicated list, such as a master email list from two sources. Keep repeats if you need to count how often something appears or must preserve every line. Use taking turns to mix two sets evenly, for example to alternate questions from two topics or to interleave two playlists.
The sort option puts the result in alphabetical order, which is helpful when you want to scan for names.
Examples
The lists apple, banana, date and cherry, banana, fig merge into apple, banana, date, cherry, fig when repeats are removed, because banana appears in both. Taking turns gives apple, cherry, banana, banana, date, fig when repeats are kept.
Tips
Remove leading and trailing spaces from your items first, because an extra space makes two otherwise identical items different. The Remove Extra Spaces tool does that. For very long lists, check the counts under the result to confirm that the number of items is what you expect.
Cleaning and checking
Before merging, make sure each list has one item per line and no stray spaces. A trailing space makes cherry and cherry different items, and the repeat will not be removed. After merging, compare the number of items in the result with the two lists you started with: with repeats removed, the result should be the sum minus the repeats the note reports.
The merge keeps the order of the first appearance of every item, which is helpful when the order in your lists means something, such as priority.
Phone and computer
On a phone, paste the first list, scroll to the second box and paste the other, then tap Copy. On a computer you can also download the result as a text file. Both boxes accept long lists. After merging, clear repeats with Remove Duplicate Lines, and use the Zip Lists Tool when you want the lists paired line by line.
Features
- Four ways to merge
- Optional repeat removal
- Optional A to Z sort
- Case-insensitive comparison
- Shows items and repeats removed
- Private: nothing is uploaded
Frequently asked questions
How do I combine two lists and remove duplicates?
Paste each list in its own box and keep the first merge option, both lists one after the other with repeats removed. The result holds every item once, with the first list first.
What does take turns mean?
The merged list alternates: first item of list one, first item of list two, second of list one, and so on. When one list is longer, its extra items come at the end.
Is the comparison case sensitive?
By default it ignores capital letters, so Apple and apple count as the same item and only the first spelling is kept. Untick the option if they should be treated as different.
Can I merge more than two lists?
Merge two, copy the result into the first box and add the next list into the second. Repeat until all lists are in.
Are empty lines kept?
Blank lines are ignored so they do not appear as empty items in the result.
Is my list uploaded?
No. The merge runs in your browser, and your lists stay on your device.