How to use VLOOKUP in Microsoft Excel
If you work with a large dataset or usually query the same data in an Excel table, then you should use the VLOOKUP function to make your life easier – here’s how.
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In Microsoft Excel,VLOOKUP(vertical lookup) is a search function that you can use to find any data inside a particular column of the table by looking at the first column’s entries and returning a corresponding value from another column.
While in a small table, you may be able to glance and quickly determine the information you need, it’s different when working with an extensive spreadsheet with hundreds of rows and columns. Since you can spend a long time analyzing and finding the required information, Excel’s VLOOKUP function was created to simplify data retrieval.
VLOOKUP works by performing a vertical search (top to bottom) for a value in the first column (that acts as the unique identifier), and then it returns a result from the matching row. The Excel function works like a drink menu at the coffee shop, where you start with the information you know, such as the drink’s name, and then you look to the right to get the information you don’t know, for example, the price.
In this Windows 10 guide, we’ll walk you through the steps to correctly write a basic VLOOKUP function with the desktop version of Microsoft Excel, whether you use the version of Office available through aMicrosoft 365 subscription,Office 2019, Office 2016, or earlier version.
How to write VLOOKUP function in Excel
To write a VLOOKUP function manually in Excel, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the feature will return the value for the item you specified onstep No. 4. If you receive the “#NAME?” error value, then it means that the formula is missing one or multiple quotes.
If you are trying to find data for another item, update the name of the cell onstep No. 4. For example, if you want to see the price for the “20oz” bottle of Kiwi juice, then replace “Orange” with “Kiwi” in the “lookup_value” cell and pressEnterto update the result.
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How to build VLOOKUP function in Excel
In addition to writing a formula directly into the spreadsheet, you can also use the Functions Arguments wizard, which gives you a more user-friendly interface to build the lookup formula.
To use the Function Arguments wizard to build a VLOOKUP formula in Microsoft Excel, use these steps:
After you complete the steps, VLOOKUP will return the result based on the parameters you have defined in the Function Arguments wizard.
In the case that you want to determine the information for another item with different details from the first column, you want to repeatsteps No. 4through12.
We’re focusing this guide on the desktop version of Microsoft Excel for Windows 10, but you can also use VLOOKUP on the web version of Excel. However, the function wizard is available, which means you’ll need to write the formula manually with the above steps. Also, these instructions should work with the version of Office available for macOS users.
Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
