How to Use VLOOKUP in Excel with a Practical Example, by The Practical Place on YouTube. 8 min 57 s.
- Video length
- 8 min 57 s
- Time to do it
- 10 minutes
- Difficulty
- Easy
- Steps
- 8
What you need
Steps
Lay out your data so the column you search sits on the left of the table, such as employee ID or product code. VLOOKUP only looks to the right from that column.
Click the cell where you want the answer and type =VLOOKUP( to begin the formula.
Type your lookup value in quotes, or click the cell holding it, then add a comma.
Select the whole table range, then press F4 so it becomes absolute with dollar signs. This keeps the range fixed when you copy the formula.
Type the column number you want back, counting the lookup column as 1. Add a comma.
Type FALSE for an exact match, close the bracket and press Enter.
Drag the fill handle down the column to copy the formula to the other rows.
Check the results. A #N/A error usually means the value is missing or has extra spaces.
Tips and common mistakes
Always use FALSE or 0 for the last argument, or Excel may return an approximate and wrong match.
The lookup column must be the leftmost column of your range, so build the table with that in mind.
Wrap the formula in IFERROR to show a blank or friendly message instead of #N/A.
If you use Microsoft 365, XLOOKUP does the same job and can look in any direction.
Questions
Why does my VLOOKUP return #N/A?
The lookup value is not in the first column of your range, or it has trailing spaces, different capitals or a number stored as text. Trim the data and check the exact spelling.
What does #REF! mean?
The column number you typed is larger than the number of columns in your selected range. Count the columns again and lower the number.
Can VLOOKUP look to the left?
No, it only returns values to the right of the lookup column. Use INDEX and MATCH or XLOOKUP when you need to look left.
This guide was drafted from the video's details and general task knowledge. It has not been checked against the full video. Check the video and relevant product instructions before following a procedure. Report a correction.
