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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Why would you use VLOOKUP?
When you need to find information in a large spreadsheet, or you are always looking for the same kind of information, use the VLOOKUP function. VLOOKUP works a lot like a phone book, where you start with the piece of data you know, like someone’s name, in order to find out what you don’t know, like their phone number.
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 is VLOOKUP and how does it work?
VLOOKUP is a function to lookup up and retrieve data in a table. The “V” in VLOOKUP stands for vertical, which means the data in the table must be arranged vertically, with data in rows.The range of cells that make up the table (table_array) The number of the column from which to retrieve a result (column_index)
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 VLOOKUP in simple words?
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.
What is not possible with VLOOKUP?
Problem: The lookup value is not in the first column in the table_array argument. One constraint of VLOOKUP is that it can only look for values on the left-most column in the table array. If your lookup value is not in the first column of the array, you will see the #N/A error.
How do I create a VLOOKUP in Excel?
How to use VLOOKUP in Excel
- Click the cell where you want the VLOOKUP formula to be calculated.
- Click Formulas at the top of the screen.
- Click Lookup & Reference on the Ribbon.
- Click VLOOKUP at the bottom of the drop-down menu.
- Specify the cell in which you will enter the value whose data you’re looking for.
How do you VLOOKUP text?
If your lookup value is number format, and the ID number in the original table is stored as text, the above formula will not work, you should apply this formula: =VLOOKUP(TEXT(G1,0),A2:D15,2,FALSE) to get the correct result as you need. 3.
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 is the difference between lookup and VLOOKUP?
The main difference between VLOOKUP and LOOKUP functions is the VLOOKUP is limited to vertical lookups only and the LOOKUP function has cross functionality which means that it can perform both vertical lookups and horizontal lookups.
Does VLOOKUP work with text and numbers?
By using TEXT as the first argument, VLOOKUP will make the match. Yes…it worked, as shown in cell C7 below. Or, if we needed to write a function that worked for text and numbers, we could use our friend IFERROR, which we discussed in a previous post.
Why is VLOOKUP returning the wrong value?
By default, VLOOKUP will do an approximate match. This is a dangerous default because VLOOKUP may quietly return an incorrect result when it doesn‘t find your lookup value.As a result, when VLOOKUP finds a value that’s greater than the lookup value, it will fall back, and match a previous value.
How do I convert text to numbers in Excel?
Use Paste Special and Multiply
Select the cells that have numbers stored as text. On the Home tab, click Paste > Paste Special. Click Multiply, and then click OK. Excel multiplies each cell by 1, and in doing so, converts the text to numbers.
What format does VLOOKUP need to be in?
The format of the VLOOKUP function is: VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_lookup). The lookup_value is the user input. This is the value that the function uses to search on.
Does VLOOKUP work with general format?
Numbers are formatted as text
Another source N/A errors in VLOOKUP formulas is numbers being formatted as text, either in the main or lookup table.The numbers can also be stored in the General format.
Can VLOOKUP return words?
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.
Can you use VLOOKUP for 2 columns?
VLOOKUP doesn’t handle multiple columns.You can find matches for Movie and Showtime columns individually but to find a match based on both the columns, you would need to modify the VLOOKUP formula.
Can VLOOKUP return multiple rows?
Well, VLOOKUP is designed to return a single value, not multiple values. That is, VLOOKUP scans down the lookup range and stops at the first matching row … ignoring any additional matching rows. Once VLOOKUP finds a matching row, it shoots to the right to retrieve the related value from a single column.