VLOOKUP Function
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. This article will teach you how to use the VLOOKUP
function.
The VLOOKUP function searches a lookup table for a value and returns the result from
the related column.
VLOOKUP has four required arguments:
Lookup value
Table range
Column no
Match Type
Using the VLOOKUP Function
For Example
For example 4 parameters to use lookup funtion
Emily Davis Lookup value
Table range starting from header itself(i.e.
E4:H24) Table
You have to refer the column range i.e. 4 th
column my annual salary is referring to Column no
It would be approx match and exact match Match Type
Full Name Job Title Business Unit Annual Salary
Research &
Emily Davis Sr. Manger Development 1,41,604
Theodore Dinh Technical Architect Manufacturing 99,975
Luna Sanders Director Speciality Products 1,63,099
Computer Systems
Penelope Jordan Manager Manufacturing 84,913
Austin Vo Sr. Analyst Manufacturing 95,409
Account
Joshua Gupta Representative Corporate 50,994
VLOOKUP function
=VLOOKUP(Lookup value,table range,column no, match type)
The range where the lookup value is located. Remember that the lookup value
should always be in the first column in the range for VLOOKUP to work correctly.
For example, if your lookup value is in cell C2 then your range should start with C.
The column number in the range that contains the return value. For example, if you
specify B2:D11 as the range, you should count B as the first column, C as the
second, and so on.
Optionally, you can specify TRUE if you want an approximate match or FALSE if you
want an exact match of the return value. If you don't specify anything, the default
value will always be TRUE or approximate match.
To combine multiple tables into one, as long as one of the tables has fields in
common with all the others.
The main limitations of the VLOOKUP function are:
VLOOKUP can only look up values to the right on the lookup_value. ...
VLOOKUP can only perform a vertical lookup across columns. ...
A VLOOKUP function does not automatically update when a formula is added.
By default, the VLOOKUP function does not find an exact match.
