It finds the largest value in our table that is smaller than, or equal to, our lookup value. It is actually a much more specific type of match than that: The reason for this is that the approximate match doesn’t mean find the ‘closest’ value to our lookup value wherever it is in the table. If we changed our column index to 1, we would find that Excel had matched ‘Whole Lotta Love’ with ‘Honky Tonk Women’. In fact, a Rolling Stones album that certainly doesn’t include Led Zeppelin’s ‘Whole Lotta Love’. Although there are several exact matches for our value in our table, the function now returns a completely different album title. Perhaps we don’t know about the fourth argument or we aren’t sure about the spelling of ‘Lotta’ so we think we’ll use an approximate match rather than an exact match:Īll we have changed in our formula is to omit the fourth argument. The use of the optional, fourth argument. Let’s now look at an even more important issue with the lookup functions. You would either need to filter the table or use a PivotTable. If we need to return multiple results from a table then the lookup functions are unlikely to work. As we can see, there is another match further down that VLOOKUP() has ignored. Let’s take a look at how a VLOOKUP() works:Įven this simple example shows one of the issues of the lookup functions: they only return the first match. The VLOOKUP() function assumes that your data is arranged as a table with different elements of the information in different columns.
#How to make a vlookup in excel 2016 how to#
The V and H in the names of these two functions refer to Vertical and Horizontal respectively, so the good news is that once you’ve learnt how to use VLOOKUP(), HLOOKUP() should be easy, as it works in exactly the same way, but with data arranged in rows as opposed to columns. We need to generate an invoice and find the total amount due for the client.Although the Excel lookup functions can seem quite straightforward, it’s very easy to get the wrong answer if you don’t fully understand how they work.Įxcel does have an additional lookup function: LOOKUP() but this is only included for compatibility with older spreadsheet applications, so we’ll concentrate on VLOOKUP() and HLOOKUP(). Mike has placed an order for one laptop, two phones, and five speakers. The data for the invoice will come from our price list. The corresponding value will automatically populate.įor our in-depth tutorial, we'll be creating a small, dummy invoice for an order placed by our customer Mike. Step 5: Once your VLOOKUP function is complete, press Enter / return. Step 4: Select the VLOOKUP function, and then enter the four arguments one after the other: the lookup value, the table array, the column index number, and the range lookup. Step 3: Select the cell where you want to enter the looked-up value and enter =vlookup. Step 2: Create a second table where you want to look up the values from the first table. We'll dive deeper into the process below. Here's a brief overview of how to use VLOOKUP in Excel Online. For our above example to work, the Items column that includes the Laptop cell will have to be in the first column. Note: The VLOOKUP function only works when your search term is in the left-most column. You can think of them like advanced filters in Gmail search. These parameters will help you search for and call up the value corresponding to the cell you're filling in. The VLOOKUP function is made up of four arguments (or parameters). Instead of copying and pasting the prices from our inventory list to our invoice, we can use the VLOOKUP function to automatically add the price of the laptop and the smartwatch to the invoice cost field. We're creating an invoice for Mike, who bought a laptop and a smartwatch. Using VLOOKUP, we can automate the process of filling in updated prices for an item on our invoices. We use Excel for inventory management and invoicing, so all of our inventory lives in a spreadsheet, and we also create our invoices in a spreadsheet. Let's say we run an electronics distribution company called All Tech Ltd. Here's a practical example of when you might use VLOOKUP. The VLOOKUP formula relies on four different arguments to present a filtered result that is, you give it four inputs, and it gives you one output. It works like any other function or formula in Excel, like SUM or AVERAGE. VLOOKUP helps you look up a corresponding value for a cell from within your existing database. Open the worksheet, and click Save to OneDrive to edit and practice with the data. We've created a demo worksheet that you can practice with. Here, we'll guide you through the process of how to use the VLOOKUP function in Excel Online. So what does VLOOKUP do? Like the name implies, it allows you to quickly look up any value that lives somewhere else in your spreadsheet. VLOOKUP is one of the most powerful features in Excel, but it's also kind of scary at first glance.
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