VLOOKUP stands for ‘Vertical Lookup’. It is a function that makes Excel search for a certain value in a column (the so called ‘table array’), in order to return a value from a different column in the same row.
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What is the use of VLOOKUP in Excel with examples?
The VLOOKUP function in Excel performs a case-insensitive lookup. For example, the VLOOKUP function below looks up MIA (cell G2) in the leftmost column of the table. Explanation: the VLOOKUP function is case-insensitive so it looks up MIA or Mia or mia or miA, etc.
What are the benefits of VLOOKUP in Excel?
What are the benefits of using the VLOOKUP?
- A VLOOKUP can lookup data automatically instead of a person having to do it manually, so time-saving is the first benefit that springs to mind.
- VLOOKUP takes four arguments, in the following format:
- VLOOKUP(Lookup_value, Table_array, Col_index_num, Range_lookup)
How use VLOOKUP step by step?
How to use VLOOKUP in Excel
- Step 1: Organize the data.
- Step 2: Tell the function what to lookup.
- Step 3: Tell the function where to look.
- Step 4: Tell Excel what column to output the data from.
- Step 5: Exact or approximate match.
When should I use VLOOKUP?
Use VLOOKUP when you need to find things in a table or a range by row. For example, look up a price of an automotive part by the part number, or find an employee name based on their employee ID.
Is VLOOKUP hard to learn?
While Vlookup is only one function in the world of spreadsheet management, its perhaps the most valuable and impactful one you can learn. By the way, you can also use its sister function, Hlookup, to search for values in Horizontal rows instead of Vertical columns. Take 5 minutes and learn Vlookup.
What is better than VLOOKUP?
The superior alternative to VLOOKUP is INDEX MATCH. While VLOOKUP works fine in most cases, it tends to reveal flaws when you start using it in large and complex sheets. The INDEX MATCH formula is actually two different functions; INDEX and MATCH. array is range of cells or an array constant.
What can I use instead of VLOOKUP?
INDEX and MATCH works very well if your lookup data is not in the first column, or you want to look to the left of the lookup data, rather than to the right, which is all VLOOKUP can do.
Can you use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets?
You can use VLOOKUP with Google Sheets; it’s similar to how the function works in Excel. The VLOOKUP formula can find values in tables on the same sheet or a different sheet, but it can only find values to the right of the search key.
How do I use VLOOKUP in Excel?
- In the Formula Bar, type =VLOOKUP().
- In the parentheses, enter your lookup value, followed by a comma.
- Enter your table array or lookup table, the range of data you want to search, and a comma: (H2,B3:F25,
- Enter column index number.
- Enter the range lookup value, either TRUE or FALSE.
Why is VLOOKUP bad?
It can not lookup and return a value which is to the left of the lookup value. It works only with data which is arranged vertically. VLOOKUP would give a wrong result if you add/delete a new column in your data (as the column number value now refers to the wrong column).
Does VLOOKUP work with capital letters?
Right, it’s VLOOKUP. However, very few people are aware that Excel’s VLOOKUP is case-insensitive, meaning it treats lowercase and UPPERCASE letters as the same characters.
Will VLOOKUP work with text?
Yes. VLOOKUP can search for textual values just as well as it can search for numbers. The example above would search for the product names, which are text rather than numbers. Remember, of course, that the values being searched should be unique.
What is VLOOKUP in simple terms?
VLOOKUP stands for ‘Vertical Lookup‘. It is a function that makes Excel search for a certain value in a column (the so called ‘table array’), in order to return a value from a different column in the same row.
How do you test if someone knows Excel?
Present an Excel file and ask them to complete it, fix it, interpret it, etc. Ask about what the conadidate believes are his/her potential Excel weaknesses. Ask them to create a pivot table or other advnaced function. Attempt to understand their willingness and ability to learn new things.
Why is Hlookup used?
Use HLOOKUP when your comparison values are located in a row across the top of a table of data, and you want to look down a specified number of rows. Use VLOOKUP when your comparison values are located in a column to the left of the data you want to find.
Why do we use 0 in VLOOKUP?
When using “False” or “0” it will return an exact match. Excel will start at the top of the list and work down, if the lookup value exists in the list it will return a value, but if it does not, it will return #N/A. This seems easy to understand, if it’s there, it returns a value, if it’s not, it won’t.
Why is my VLOOKUP returning NA when value exists?
The most common cause of the #N/A error is with VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, LOOKUP, or MATCH functions if a formula can’t find a referenced value. For example, your lookup value doesn’t exist in the source data. In this case there is no “Banana” listed in the lookup table, so VLOOKUP returns a #N/A error.
Do Vlookups slow down Excel?
Exact-match VLOOKUP is slow
When you use VLOOKUP in “exact match mode” on a large set of data, it can really slow down the calculation time in a worksheet.
Is Xlookup faster than VLOOKUP?
Compared to a normal VLOOKUP, the binary XLOOKUP is significantly faster. But a VLOOKUP with a approximate match is still a little bit faster. The binary XLOOKUP is slightly slower than an approximate VLOOKUP (~16% slower).
Is Xlookup better than VLOOKUP?
The XLOOKUP defaults to an exact match where the VLOOKUP defaults to an approximate match. As the exact match is used most often, this setting would make the XLOOKUP more effective. On top of this, the XLOOKUP offers an additional option of an approximate match returning the next larger value.