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5 - How To Use Excel VLOOKUP Function

VLOOKUP is an Excel function that allows users to look up values in a table based on a search key. It searches for the key in the first column of a range and returns a value from the same row in a specified column index. The formula syntax includes the search key as the first argument, the data range as the second argument, the column index number as the third argument, and a logical value to indicate if an approximate match is allowed. The document provides an example of using VLOOKUP to find the price of a photo frame from a table based on the item name. It walks through setting up the formula with the correct arguments to perform the lookup and return the corresponding price.

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Sherleen Gallardo
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9 views

5 - How To Use Excel VLOOKUP Function

VLOOKUP is an Excel function that allows users to look up values in a table based on a search key. It searches for the key in the first column of a range and returns a value from the same row in a specified column index. The formula syntax includes the search key as the first argument, the data range as the second argument, the column index number as the third argument, and a logical value to indicate if an approximate match is allowed. The document provides an example of using VLOOKUP to find the price of a photo frame from a table based on the item name. It walks through setting up the formula with the correct arguments to perform the lookup and return the corresponding price.

Uploaded by

Sherleen Gallardo
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Microsoft Excel Training - How to Use Excel VLOOKUP Function 1

How to Use Excel VLOOKUP Function


How to use Excel's VLOOKUP function
Many of our learners have told us they want to learn how to use Excel's VLOOKUP function. VLOOKUP is an
extremely useful tool, and learning how to use it is easier than you think!
Before you start, you should understand the basics of functions. Check out our Functions lesson from our Excel
Formulas tutorial (or select a specific version of Excel). VLOOKUP works the same in all versions of Excel, and it
even works in other spreadsheet applications like Google Sheets. You can download the example if you'd like to
work along with this article.
What exactly is VLOOKUP?
Basically, VLOOKUP lets you search for specific information in your spreadsheet. For example, if you have a list
of products with prices, you could search for the price of a specific item.
We're going to use VLOOKUP to find the price of the Photo frame. You can probably already see that the price is
$9.99, but that's because this is a simple example. Once you learn how to use VLOOKUP, you'll be able to use it
with larger, more complex spreadsheets, and that's when it will become truly useful.

We'll add our formula to cell E2, but you can add it to any blank cell. As with any formula, you'll start with an
equals sign (=). Then type the formula name. Our arguments will need to be in parentheses, so type an open
parenthesis. So far, it should look like this:

=VLOOKUP(

Adding the arguments


Now, we'll add our arguments. The arguments will tell VLOOKUP what to search for and where to search.
The first argument is the name of the item you're searching for, which in this case is Photo frame. Because the
argument is text, we'll need to put it in double quotes:
Microsoft Excel Training - How to Use Excel VLOOKUP Function 2

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame"

The second argument is the cell range that contains the data. In this example, our data is in A2:B16. As with any
function, you'll need to use a comma to separate each argument:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16

Note: It's important to know that VLOOKUP will always search the first column in this range. In this example, it
will search column A for "Photo frame". In some cases, you may need to move the columns around so the first
column contains the correct data.

The third argument is the column index number. It's simpler than it sounds: The first column in the range is 1,
the second column is 2, etc. In this case, we are trying to find the price of the item, and the prices are contained
in the second column. This means our third argument will be 2:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2

The fourth argument tells VLOOKUP whether to look for approximate matches, and it can be either TRUE or
FALSE. If it is TRUE, it will look for approximate matches. Generally, this is only useful if the first column has
numerical values that have been sorted. Because we're only looking for exact matches, the fourth argument
should be FALSE. This is our last argument, so go ahead and close the parentheses:

=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)

That's it! When you press Enter, it should give you the answer, which is 9.99.

How it works
Let's take a look at how this formula works. It first searches vertically down the first column (VLOOKUP is short
for vertical lookup). When it finds "Photo frame", it moves to the second column to find the price.
Microsoft Excel Training - How to Use Excel VLOOKUP Function 3

If we want to find the price of a different item, we can just change the first argument:

=VLOOKUP("T-shirt", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)

or:

=VLOOKUP("Gift basket", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)

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