Vlookup finds some value in the leftmost column of a range and returns a value some number of columns to the right and in the same row.

Let's say you want to find the surname of Employee ID 2 from this table:

=VLOOKUP(2,$A$2:$C$4,3,0)

• The value you're retrieving data for is 2
• The table you're searching is located in the range $A$2:$C$4
• The column you want to return data from is the 3rd column from the left
• You only want to return results where there is an exact match (0)

Note that if there is no exact match on the employee ID, the VLOOKUP will return #N/A.

In most cases, the range_lookup is used as FALSE (an exact match). The default for this parameter is TRUE - it is less commonly used in this form, but this example shows one usecase. A supermarket gives a bonus based on the customers monthly spend.

If the customer spends 250 EUR or more in a month, they get 1% bonus; 500 EUR or more gives 2.5% etc. Of course, the customer won't always spend exactly one of the values in the table!

=VLOOKUP(261,$A$2:$B$6,2,TRUE)

In this mode, the VLOOKUP will find the first value in column A (following bottom-up steps) less than or equal to the value 261 -> i.e. we will get the 1% value returned. For this non-exact match, the table must be sorted in ascending order of the first column.

• The value you're retrieving data for is 261
• The table you're searching is located in the range $A$2:$B$6
• The column you want to return data from is the 2nd column from the left
• You only want to return results where there is an non-exact match (TRUE) we could leave off this TRUE as it is the default

When the range_lookup parameter is either omitted, TRUE, or 1, VLOOKUP will find an approximate match. By "approximate", we mean that VLOOKUP will match on the smallest value that's larger than your lookup_value. Note that your table_array must be sorted in ascending order by lookup values. Results will be unpredictable if your values are not sorted.

The core idea of VLOOKUP is to look up information in a spreadsheet table and place it in another.

For example, suppose this is the table in Sheet1:

John        12/25/1990
Jane        1/1/2000

In Sheet2, place John, Andy, and Jane in A1, A2, and A3.

In B1, to the right of John, I placed:

=VLOOKUP(A1,Sheet1!$A$1:$B$4,2,FALSE)

Here's a brief explanation of the parameters given to VLOOKUP. The A1 means I'm seeking John in A1 of Sheet2. The

Sheet1!$A$1:$B$4

tells the function to look at Sheet1, columns A through B (and rows 1 through 4). The dollar signs are necessary to tell Excel to use absolute (rather than relative) references. (Relative references would make the whole thing shift in undesirable ways when copying the formula down.

The 2 means to return the second column, which is the date.

The FALSE means that you are requiring an exact match.

I then copied down B1 to B2 and B3. (The easiest way to do this would be to click on B1 to highlight it. Then hold the shift key down and press the down arrow twice. Now B1, B2, and B3 are highlighted. Then press Ctrl-D to Fill Down the formula. If done correctly, one should have the same formula in B3 as in B1. If the formulas for the lookup table are changing, for instance from Sheet1!A1:B3 to Sheet1:A3:B5, then you should use absolute references (with dollar signs) to prevent the change.)

Here are the results:

John    12/25/1990
Andy    #N/A
Jane    1/1/2000

It found John and Jane, and returned their birthdates. It did not find Andy, and so it displays an #N/A.