Excel is a powerful tool for data management. It assists users to examine and analyze data smoothly. Often not valued for the range of tasks it allows the user to perform, Excel is a beneficial and very famous tool used by basically every institution and business, even today.
Excel delivers a vast range of parts that makes it more comfortable to work with data. Vlookup function is also one of the functions of the excel tool. Vlookup functions as a search process by examining specific data vertically across an excel spreadsheet.
Let’s go forward and learn What is the Vlookup formula in excel.
What is the VLOOKUP function in excel?
Many users must have heard about the Vlookup function, but they may not know how it is used and what it is. Therefore, Excelkeys aims to answer the typical question “What is the Vlookup function in Excel?”
Vlookup (short for ‘vertical’ lookup) is a built-in Excel function that is organized to operate with data that is collected into columns. For a specified matter, the function finds (or ‘looks up’) the value in one column of data, and returns the connected value from another column.
Vlookup Formula in Excel:
The vlookup function operates the arguments
There are four arguments in the vlookup, which are you can see below:
- Lookup value – Lookup value is the value that we need to look up in a table column. Where you get the value from another table of the spreadsheet of excel.
- Table array – Vlookup Table Array is used for seeing and looking up the needed values in the form of a table array. And Table Array is the mixture of two or more two tables which has data and values connected and linked to one another.
- Column index number – The column number in the table from which the matching value must be returned. This digit should not be greater than the number of columns in the table array otherwise, it will show error #REF!.
- Range lookup – What exactly is a range lookup? It indicates you are examining for a value between a range of values. The quickest way to describe this is with an example and a photo.
- True – Approximate match; if an Exact match is not found, use the nearest match below the value.
- False – Exact match; if an Exact match is not seen, then it will return an error.
- Also, use 0 for false and 1 for proper matching.
Actions for Operating Vlookup Function
- Tap on formula tab > lookup & reference > click on Vlookup.
- Also, tap on the icon, then write and search the formula.
- We get a new window showing in the below-mentioned pictures.
- Then we have to enter the details as shown in the picture.
- Put the lookup value where you want to match from one table to another table value.
- You have to put the table array, which is another table value.
- Put the col index number for another table vertical value which is mandatory.
- Rage lookup false for an exact match and right for an approximate match.
- Also, use 0 for an exact match and 1 for an approximate match.
Shortcut of using the Formula
= vlookup (lookup value, table range, column index) > enter
Vlookup function is very straightforward and effortless to use. Let’s learn the working of vlookup. Below mention is the components using the formulas.
How to Use Vlookup Function in Excel?
Vlookup function is very straightforward and effortless to use. Let’s learn the working of vlookup. Below mention is the components using the formulas.
Example For Exact Match
Most of the time you are examining for an exact match when you use the Vlookup function in Excel. Let’s take a look at the arguments of the Vlookup function.
1. The Vlookup function below looks up the value 53 in the leftmost column of the table (second argument).
2. The value 4 (third argument) means the Vlookup function to return the value in the same row from the fourth column of the table.
Example of Approximate Match
Let’s take a look at an example of the Vlookup function in approximate match mode.
1. The Vlookup function below looks up the value 85 in the leftmost column of the table. There’s just one problem. There’s no value 85 in the first column.
2. Fortunately, the Boolean TRUE (fourth argument) tells the Vlookup function to return an approximate match. If the Vlookup function can’t see the value 85 in the first column, it will return the largest value smaller than 85. In this example, this will be the value 82.
3. The value 2 tells the Vlookup function to return the value in the same row from the second column of the table.
