Excel vlookup function for dummies. For instance you can use vlookup to retrieve values from a table after typing in only part of a lookup value. The vlookup function is the king of all lookup functions in excel. When you find x then go right y columns. In this vlookup guide we will learn.
You may use the text number a cell reference etc as lookupvalue. Take a look at this figure to get the general idea. As the name suggests the vlookup in excel is used to look up or find a value in a table. The vlookup function searches in the left most column of this array.
On that basis let me define the vlookup function. Now you know what a vlookup is. The vlookup function uses the following arguments. The purpose of vlookup is to find a specific value from a column of data where the leftmost row value matches a given criterion.
Lookupvalue required argument lookupvalue specifies the value that we want to look up in the first column of a table. To use wildcards with vlookup you must specify exact match mode by providing false or 0 for the last argument rangelookup. In plain english vlookup is. Even dummies can easily do vlookup in excel.
The vlookup function is designed to allow you to search data within a worksheet or workbook to find information that is related to the data you enter. Tablearray required argument the table array is the data array that is to be searched. The table on the left shows sales by month and product number. Vlookup v stands for vertical is an in built function in excel which allows establishing a relationship between different columns of excel.
The vlookup function searches vertically from top to bottom the leftmost column of a lookup table until the program locates a value that matches or exceeds the one you are looking up. The wheat is called lookupvalue. As an example imagine you work for a computer company and the companys item spreadsheet that records item sales contains a few thousand items. Go down until you find x in the first column.
In other words it allows you to find look up a value from one column of data and returns its respective or corresponding value from another column.