Vlookup with match in excel

The Combo of VLOOKUP and MATCH is like a superpower. Well, as we all know VLOOKUP is one of the most popular functions.

Right?

It can help you quickly lookup a value in a column. But when you use it more and more you will realize some problems with it. And, the biggest problem is it’s not dynamic.

In VLOOKUP, col_index_no is a static value which is the reason VLOOKUP doesn’t work as a dynamic function. And this is where you need to combine VLOOKUP with MATCH. 

If you are working on multiple-column data, it’s a pain to change its reference you have to do (change the column number) manually.

The best way to solve this problem is to use the MATCH function in VLOOKUP for col_index_number. Today in this post, I going to explain all the stuff you need to know to use this combo formula.

Problems With VLOOKUP

I have found the two biggest reasons to create a combination of these two functions.

1. Static Reference

Just look at the below data table where you have 12-month sales for four different employees.

Now, let’s say you want to look up the Feb month’s sale of “John”. The formula should be like this.

=VLOOKUP("May",A1:E13,2,0)

And in this formula, you have mentioned 2 as the col_index_num because John’s sale is in the second column. But what will you do if your boss tells you to get the sales value for “Peter”?

You need to change the value in col_index_num because it’s not dynamic.

2. Add or Delete Columns

Now think in a different way. You need to add a new column for a new employee just before John’s column.

And here, John’s column number is 3 and your formula result is incorrect.

Again here, because col_index_num is a static value you need to change it manually from 2 to 3 and again if you need something else.

At this point, you are clear about one thing you need to make col_index_num dynamic. And for this, the best way is to replace it with the MATCH function.

Why Match Function

Before you combine VLOOKUP and MATCH, you need to understand the match function and its work. The basic use of MATCH is to find the cell number of the lookup value from a range.

Syntax: MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_array,[match_type])

It has mainly three arguments, lookup value, a range to lookup for the value, and the match type to specify an exact match or an approximate match.

For example, in the below data, I am lookup for the name “John” with the match function from a heading row.

And, it has returned 2 in the result because the name is in the 2nd cell of the row.

VLOOKUP and MATCH Together

Now, it’s time to put VLOOKUP and MATCH together. So, let’s continue with our previous example.

First of all, let’s create a formula by using both of the functions, and then we’ll understand how these two work together.

Steps to create this combo formula:

• First of all, in one cell enter the month’s name, and in another cell enter the employee’s name.
• After that, enter the below formula in the third cell.

=VLOOKUP(C15,A1:E13,MATCH(C16,A1:E1,0),0)

In the above formula, you have used VLOOKUP to lookup for the MAY month, and for the col_index_num argument, you have used the match function instead of a static value.

And in the match function, you have used “John” (employee name) for the lookup value.

Here match function has returned the cell number for the “John” from the above row. After that, VLOOKUP used that cell number to return the value.

In simple words, the MATCH function tells VLOOKUP the column number to get the value from.

Problems Solved?

Above you have learned about two different problems which are because of static col_index_num.

And, for this, you have combined VLOOKUP and MATCH. Now, we need to check whether those problems are solved or not.

1. Static Reference

You have referred to the employee name in the match function to get the column number for VLOOKUP.

When you change the employee name in the cell, the match function will change the column number. And when you need to get the value for a different employee you have to change the employee name in the cell.

This way, you have a dynamic col_index_number.

Finally, you don’t have to edit the formula again and again.

2. Add or Delete Columns

Before adding a new column John’s data was in the 2nd column and the match function returned 2. And after you have inserted a new column john’s data is in the 3rd column and the match returned 3.

When you add a new column for a new employee the value in the formula is not changed because the match function updates its value.

In this way, you’ll always get the correct column number even when you insert/delete any column. The MATCH function will return the right column number.

• Sample-File

VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH formulas are among the most powerful functions in Excel. Lookup formulas come in handy whenever you want to have Excel automatically return the price, product ID, address, or some other associated value from a table based on some lookup value. The VLOOKUP function can be used when the lookup value is in the left column of your table or when you want to return the last value in a column. The INDEX and MATCH functions can be used in combination to do the same thing, but provide greater flexibility without some of the limitations of VLOOKUP. I’ll also mention LOOKUP and CHOOSE and EXACT and ISBLANK and ISNUMBER and ISTEXT and … 🙂, but this article is mainly about VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH.

To see these examples in action, download the Excel file below.

Download the Example File (LookupFormulas.xlsx)

Do you have a VLOOKUP or INDEX-MATCH challenge you need to solve? If you can’t figure it out after reading this article, go ahead and ask your question by commenting below.

1) Simple VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH Examples

VLOOKUP Example

First, here is an example of the VLOOKUP function using a simple Price List Table. We’re looking for the text «a_003» within the Item ID column and wanting to return the corresponding value from the Price column.

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,FALSE)

How it works: The table_array argument is a range that must have the lookup column on the left. The price column is the 3rd column in the highlighted range, so that is why the col_index_num argument is 3 in our example. We use FALSE for the final argument because we want the VLOOKUP function to do an exact match.

INDEX-MATCH Example

Next, you’ll see that the INDEX-MATCH formula is just as simple:

=INDEX(result_range,MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_range,0))

How it works: The MATCH function returns the position number 3 because «a_003» matches the 3rd row in the Item ID range. Next, INDEX(result_range,3) returns the 3rd value in the price list range.

The INDEX-MATCH formula is an example of a simple nested function where we use the result from the MATCH function as one of the arguments for the INDEX function. The example below shows this being done in two separate steps.

Syntax and Notes for MATCH and INDEX

MATCH returns the position number of a matched value within the lookup range.

=MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_range,match_type)

INDEX returns a value from an array based on a row and column number.

=INDEX(array,row_number,[column_number],[area_number])

2) Use Wildcard Characters (?, *) for Partial Matches with VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH

Wildcard characters can be used within the lookup_value for both VLOOKUP and MATCH formulas when the lookup is text and you are doing an exact match.

* (asterisk) matches any number of characters. For example, use «*200» to find the first value ending in 200.

? (question mark) matches any single character. For example, use «A?C*» to find the first value where «A» is the first character and «C» is the 3rd character. The second character can be anything, but only a single character.

~ (tilde) is used in front of a wildcard character to treat it as a literal character. In the 3rd example, we use «*~?*» to find the first occurrence of a product that contains an actual question mark.

3) Return Approximate Matches Using VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH

The following examples show how to use VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH to return approximate matches with numerical lookup data. Important: When using an «Approximate Match» with VLOOKUP (where the 4th argument = TRUE) and a «Less than» match with MATCH (where the 3rd argument = 1), the lookup range needs to be sorted in ascending order.

These formulas look for the largest value that is less than or equal to the lookup value.

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,TRUE)

=INDEX(result_range,MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_range,1))

Example 1: Return a Grade based on Percent

► See this in action: Download the Grade book Template

Example 2: Return a Discount Rate based on Quantity

Example 3: Return a Tax Rate based on Income

► See this in action: Download the Paycheck Calculator

4) 2D Lookups Using VLOOKUP-MATCH and INDEX-MATCH-MATCH

In this example, we’ll do a mileage lookup between two cities. The formulas are basically the same as for a 1D lookup, except that we use a MATCH function to replace col_index_num in the VLOOKUP function and to replace column_number in the INDEX function.

Using VLOOKUP

=VLOOKUP(row_lookup_value,table_array, MATCH(column_lookup_value,column_label_range,0), FALSE)

Using INDEX-MATCH-MATCH

=INDEX( result_array,
MATCH(row_lookup_value,row_label_range,0),
MATCH(column_lookup_value,column_label_range,0) )

Using HLOOKUP

=HLOOKUP(column_lookup_value,table_array, MATCH(row_lookup_value,row_label_range,0), FALSE)

5) 3D Lookups Using INDEX-MATCH and VLOOKUP

To demonstrate a 3D lookup, we’ll use mileage tables again, but this time we have a separate table for Road and Plane. The INDEX function allows you to return a value from a 3D array. You can replace the row_number, column_number, and area_number with 3 MATCH functions.

NOTE The reference argument for the INDEX function should be multiple same-size ranges surrounded by parentheses like this: (A1:D10,E1:H10), or you can use a named range.

=INDEX( (array_range1,array_range2) ,
MATCH(row_lookup_value,row_label_range,0),
MATCH(column_lookup_value,column_label_range,0),
MATCH(table_lookup_value,{"Road","Plane"},0) )

3D Lookup Using VLOOKUP

It is possible to do a 3D lookup using VLOOKUP. Starting with the 2D lookup formula, in place of array_table, you can use CHOOSE(table_number,table_array_1,table_array_2). You can use MATCH to find the value for table_number as in the INDEX-MATCH example above. The resulting formula would look like this:

=VLOOKUP(row_lookup_value, CHOOSE( MATCH(table_name,{"Road","Plane"},0), road_table_array, plane_table_array), MATCH(column_lookup_value,column_label_range,0), FALSE)

6) Case-Sensitive EXACT Lookup Using INDEX-MATCH

Most lookups and logical comparisons in Excel are NOT case-sensitive, meaning that both «A»=»a» and «A»=»A» would return TRUE.

The EXACT(value1,value2) function allows you to make a comparison between value1 and value2 that IS case sensitive, so EXACT(«A»,»a») returns FALSE and EXACT(«B»,»B») returns TRUE.

If you use EXACT to compare a value to a range like EXACT(«B»,A1:A20), the function returns an array of TRUE and FALSE values. You can then use a MATCH function to look for the value TRUE within the range returned by EXACT(lookup_value,lookup_range). The final lookup formula is an Excel Array Formula, so you need to press Ctrl+Shift+Enter after entering the formula.

{Ctrl+Shift+Enter} =INDEX(result_range, MATCH(TRUE,EXACT(lookup_value,lookup_range),0) )

See the references at the end of this article if you are curious about how a case-sensitive lookup can be done with VLOOKUP.

7) Multiple-Criteria Exact Lookups Using VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH

One way to do an exact-match using multiple criteria is to concatenate the lookup columns and do a lookup using the concatenated lookup values. VLOOKUP requires using a helper column containing the concatenated lookup columns. INDEX-MATCH does not need the helper column, but it becomes an array formula (Ctrl+Shift+Enter).

Multiple-criteria lookup using VLOOKUP and a helper column

=VLOOKUP(value_1 & value_2,table_array,col_index_num,FALSE)

Multiple-criteria lookup using INDEX-MATCH as an array formula

{Ctrl+Shift+Enter}  =INDEX(result_range,MATCH(value1 & value2, lookup_col1 & lookup_col2,0))

Lookups with Multiple Non-Exact Criteria Using INDEX-MATCH

When you want to use logical conditions such as A > B or A < B in your lookup, a method I like is to use INDEX-MATCH and convert the lookup_range to a TRUE or FALSE expression like lookup_range<lookup_value. Then search for the first occurrence of TRUE (using 1 as the first argument of the MATCH function). Using this method, you can have any number of conditions because multiplying true/false expressions together acts like the logical AND operator. The formula must be entered as an array formula (Ctrl+Shift+Enter), but that’s a small price to pay for relative simplicity.

{Ctrl+Shift+Enter}  =INDEX(result_range,MATCH(1, (lookup_col1>lookup_value1) * (lookup_col2<lookup_value2) ,0) )

9) Return the Last Numeric Value in a Column

When using an approximate lookup for VLOOKUP and MATCH, you can return the last numeric value in a column if you use an extremely large number as the lookup value (to make sure it will be larger than any number in the lookup range). A common example would be to return the last value in a Balance column for a checkbook register as shown in the example below.

=VLOOKUP( 9E+100, lookup_column, 1, TRUE)

Recall that the TRUE option (for an approximate match) is the default for VLOOKUP, so that is why the formula in the checkbook example image only shows 3 arguments.

This can of course be done with INDEX-MATCH, but I prefer the VLOOKUP formula in this case because it requires only one reference to the lookup column.

=INDEX( lookup_column, MATCH( 9E+99, lookup_column, 1) )

NOTES The lookup_column can contain text values and even errors (like #N/A or #DIV/0), and those values will be ignored. The formula returns only the last numeric value.

10) Return the Last Text Value in a Column

When searching for the last text value, instead of a large numeric value for the lookup_value as in the previous example, use a «large» text value. By that, I mean a text value that would show up last if you sorted a column in alphabetical order. If you are using the English alphabet without special characters, that could be «zzzzzz.» If you are using Greek characters or symbols in your list, you could try a Unicode Character such as «🗿» as the lookup value.

=VLOOKUP( "zzzzzzz", lookup_column, 1, TRUE)

=INDEX( lookup_column, MATCH( "🗿", lookup_column, 1) )

Rather than returning the last text value, I often use just the MATCH part of this formula to return the row number of the last value. This allows you to make a dynamic named range that can be used as the source range for a drop-down list via data validation.

11) Return the Last Non-BLANK Value in a Column

If your column contains both text and numeric values, you may want a formula to return the last non-BLANK value. Using the INDEX-MATCH formula, we can search for the last numeric value and the last text value and return whichever comes last.

=INDEX( lookup_column, MAX( MATCH( "zzzzzz", lookup_column, 1), MATCH(9E+100, lookup_column,1) ) )

A more concise formula uses the LOOKUP function. The LOOKUP function allows the lookup_range to be an expression rather than a direct reference (and it can be a row or column). We can use a logical comparison and search for the last TRUE value like this:

=LOOKUP(42, 1/NOT(ISBLANK(lookup_range)), lookup_range)

The trick here is that the expression 1/NOT(ISBLANK(lookup_range)) returns an array of 1s for TRUE and #DIV/0 errors for FALSE. LOOKUP ignores the error values so it will return the last value in lookup_range that is not blank. The number 42 is arbitrary — it just needs to be larger than 1 to return the last value.

Using very similar formulas, you can use LOOKUP to return just the last numeric value or text value like this:

=LOOKUP( 42, 1/ISNUMBER(lookup_range), result_range)

=LOOKUP( 42, 1/ISTEXT(lookup_range), result_range)

12) Return the Last Non-Empty Value Using LOOKUP

If you are using a formula to return an empty value «» and you want to ignore those cells when searching for the last value in the range, you can use the LOOKUP formula mentioned in the last example with the expression 1/(lookup_range<>»»).

=LOOKUP(42, 1/(lookup_range<>""), lookup_range)

If you want to return the relative row number instead of the actual value, you can use the following formula:

=LOOKUP(42, 1/(lookup_range<>""), ROW(lookup_range)-ROW(first_cell_in_lookup_range)+1 )

13) Lookup based on the Nth Match

You can use the SMALL function to return the Nth smallest value from an array, and we can use that along with an array formula and the INDEX function to do a lookup based on the Nth match. See my Array Formula Examples article to learn more about Array Formulas and specifically the SMALL-IF formula.

In this example, we want to return the 2nd Event that matches the date 3/7/2018. Note: The curly { } brackets in the formula below are a reminder to press Ctrl+Shift+Enter to enter the formula as an Array Formula. You don’t actually type the brackets into the formula.

{  =INDEX(result_range,SMALL( IF(lookup_range=lookup_value, ROW(lookup_range)-ROW(first_cell_in_lookup_range)+1),occurrence))  }

How does this work? The SMALL-IF part of the formula is acting kind of like the MATCH function except that it is returning the index number for the 2nd occurrence of the match. We can use SMALL in this example because Excel stores dates as numbers.

This formula is used within the Daily Planner Template to list events and holidays occurring on a particular date.

14) VLOOKUP vs. INDEX-MATCH

Excel people like to debate about whether VLOOKUP is better than INDEX-MATCH for lookup formulas. The most common argument is that VLOOKUP is simpler and INDEX-MATCH is more powerful. Even though I usually prefer INDEX-MATCH, I think both formulas are pretty simple, and one isn’t necessarily always more powerful than the other.

If you want to do more advanced lookups with VLOOKUP, then you’ll probably need to learn how to use MATCH and CHOOSE. If you want to become a power Excel user, then you’ll also want to learn the INDEX function. So, my opinion on the VLOOKUP vs. INDEX-MATCH debate is to learn how to use them all.

In conclusion, here are some reminders applicable to both VLOOKUP and INDEX-MATCH:

• Don’t forget the FALSE or 0 option if you are wanting an exact match, because the default parameter is to use an approximate match.
• As a general rule, use absolute ($A$1) cell references to refer to the lookup ranges and table arrays because when you copy the lookup formula you will usually want those ranges to remain the same.
• Check for extra blank spaces if you think a lookup formula should be finding a match, but it is not.
• Use IFERROR to handle the error returned when an exact match is not found.

References

VLOOKUP MATCH is one of several possible lookup formulas within Microsoft Excel.  This tutorial assumes you already have a decent understanding of how to use VLOOKUP.  If you do not, please click here for a beginner’s tutorial on VLOOKUP.

Objective

VLOOKUP MATCH is an improved variation of your basic VLOOKUP or INDEX MATCH formula.  Using VLOOKUP MATCH allows you to perform a matrix lookup – instead of just looking up a vertical value, the MATCH portion of the formula turns your column reference into a dynamic horizontal lookup as well.  VLOOKUP MATCH is mainly useful for situations where you intended to perform heavy editing on your data set after you’ve finished writing your formula.  This is because VLOOKUP MATCH gives your lookup formula insertion immunity; whenever you insert or delete a column within your lookup array, your formula will still pull the correct number.  VLOOKUP MATCH is actually very similar to VLOOKUP HLOOKUP, but is slightly better because it does not require the creation of an additional row to label your column numbers.

The key difference between using VLOOKUP MATCH versus the basic VLOOKUP formula is that, in addition to your vertical lookup value (what you’ll be looking up down the left side of your table) you’ll also have a column lookup value (what you’ll be looking up across the top of your column headings).

The Syntax

VLOOKUP and MATCH are the two formulas that are combined to perform this lookup.  We’ll look at each of the formulas separately before putting them together.  The primary formula we’ll be using is VLOOKUP:

=VLOOKUP ( lookup value , table_array , col_index_num , [range_lookup] )

To use this formula, you’ll need a lookup value and a table array.  (We’ll address the column index number later and since we are not performing a range lookup, we can leave that part of the syntax blank)  In the example below, the lookup value is ID number “5” and the table array is the green box surrounding cells B6:F14.

Next we have the MATCH formula:

=MATCH ( lookup value , lookup_array , [match _type] )

The match formula returns a position number based on your lookup value’s location within the array you’ve selected.  To use this formula you’ll need both a lookup value and a lookup array.  (The match type parameter should be left blank – doing so tells Excel that we want an exact match).  In the example below, the lookup value we’ll be using is the State of “WA” and the lookup array is the orange box surrounding cells B6:F6.

Putting it Together

The key to VLOOKUP MATCH is that we are replacing the “column index number” syntax of VLOOKUP with the MATCH formula.  Perform this combination using the following steps:

Step 1: Start by typing your VLOOKUP formula as you normally would, inputting the proper lookup value and table array for your lookup; in this example the lookup value is ID number “5” and the table array is the green box surrounding cells B6:F14.

Step 2: When you get to the column index number input, instead of typing in a hard coded number, start typing in the MATCH formula

Step 3: For the MATCH formula’s lookup value, select the cell containing name of the column you want to return from; in this example we want to return a State, so we click on it

Step 4: For the MATCH formula’s lookup array, select the row headings of your table array; in this example it is the orange box surrounding cells B6:F6.

Step 5: Close off both your MATCH formula and your VLOOKUP formula with two parentheses (doing this simply confirms for Excel that we want an exact match for the MATCH formula and that we don’t want to use a range lookup for the VLOOKUP)

How it Works

The MATCH formula we created returns the value 4.  Therefore, based on how we arranged the syntax, the VLOOKUP MATCH in this state is basically performing the same function as a VLOOKUP with a column index number of 4.

However, the key difference is that this column reference is now dynamic.  If I insert or delete a column from my lookup table, my return value will stay the same.  See below for an example of the difference in return values between VLOOKUP and VLOOKUP MATCH after inserting a column.

After the insertion occurs, the VLOOKUP formula’s column reference remains 4 and is now pulling from the City field.  Your return value has changed from “WA” to “Seattle.”  However, with VLOOKUP MATCH, since you’ve indicated by name which column you want to pull from, the column reference automatically updates and therefore you maintain the “WA” return value.

Disadvantages

While VLOOKUP MATCH is clearly an improvement over the basic VLOOKUP, there are still drawbacks to using this formula.  With VLOOKUP MATCH, every lookup must still start from left to right.  This can become problematic if you want to append lookup keys to the right of your dataset.  Additionally, your return values are limited to the originally table array you’ve selected.  For example, if you were to append one or two columns to the right of your data set, you wouldn’t be able to lookup and return values from those columns without adjusting your table array.

If you want to use a matrix lookup formula combination without these specific limitations, consider using INDEX MATCH MATCH.

Return to Excel Formulas List

Download Example Workbook

Download the example workbook

This tutorial will demonstrate how to retrieve data from multiple columns using the MATCH and VLOOKUP Functions in Excel and Google Sheets.

Why Should you Combine VLOOKUP and MATCH?

Traditionally, when using the VLOOKUP Function, you enter a column index number to determine which column to retrieve data from.

This presents two problems:

• If you want to pull values from multiple columns, you must manually enter the column index number for each column
• If you insert or remove columns, your column index number will no longer be valid.

To make your VLOOKUP Function dynamic, you can find the column index number with the MATCH Function.

=VLOOKUP(G3,B3:E5,MATCH(H2,B2:E2,0),FALSE)

Let’s see how this formula works.

MATCH Function

The MATCH Function will return the column index number of your desired column header.

In the example below, the column index number for “Age” is calculated by the MATCH Function:

=MATCH("Age",B2:E2,0)

“Age” is the 2nd column header, so 2 is returned.

Note: The last argument of the MATCH Function must be set to 0 to perform an exact match.

VLOOKUP Function

Now, you can simply plug in the result of the MATCH Function into your VLOOKUP Function:

=VLOOKUP(G3,B3:E5,H3,FALSE)

Replacing the column index argument with the MATCH Function gives us our original formula:

=VLOOKUP(G3,B3:E5,MATCH(H2,B2:E2,0),FALSE)

Inserting and Deleting Columns

Now, when you insert or delete columns in the data range, the result of your formula will not change.

In the example above, we added the Teacher column to the range but still want the student’s Age. The output from the MATCH Function identifies that “Age” is now the 3rd item in the header range, and the VLOOKUP Function uses 3 as the column index.

Locking Cell References

To make our formulas easier to read, we’ve shown the formulas without locked cell references:

=VLOOKUP(G3,B3:E5,MATCH(H2,B2:E2,0),FALSE)

But these formulas will not work properly when copy and pasted elsewhere in your file. Instead, you should use locked cell references like this:

=VLOOKUP($G3,$B$3:$E$5,MATCH(H$2,$B$2:$E$2,0),FALSE)

Read our article on Locking Cell References to learn more.

VLOOKUP & MATCH Combined in Google Sheets

These formulas work exactly the same in Google Sheets as in Excel.

This post provides an explanation of how to use the VLOOKUP and MATCH functions to give you better control over how the column index number changes.  This is often referred to as a dynamic formula.  You will learn how this dynamic duo can help prevent errors and improve your VLOOKUP formulas.

We are going to learn how the MATCH function can be used inside the VLOOKUP function.  This helps protect the VLOOKUP from returning errors when changes are made to the workbook.

Problems with VLOOKUPs

The VLOOKUP is a very useful function, but it doesn’t respond to change very well.  Have you ever noticed that if you add or delete columns in an area that the VLOOKUP refers to, the result can return an error or incorrect result?

This is usually due to the fact that we have specified the column number as a static number in the 3rd argument of the VLOOKUP argument.

The Starbucks Menu Example

We can use the Starbucks menu VLOOKUP example to help explain this issue.

In that example we wanted to return the price for the size Grande, which was in column 3 of the menu.  We put a “3” in the column index argument in the VLOOKUP formula to reference the Grande column (col C).

But what if Starbucks decided to add a new size to the menu?

Let’s say they decide to add a size “Short” to the menu, and put it to the left of the size Tall.

In our spreadsheet example, we would need to insert a column after column A for the new size.  This change means that the size Grande is now in column 4 (col D).

However, our VLOOKUP still references column 3.  Excel does NOT update the formula when a column is inserted or deleted.

Therefore, the formula is now returning the wrong result.

This is a problem!  But fortunately for us, VLOOKUP has a side-kick named MATCH that will save the day.

MATCH to the Rescue

We first need to learn how the MATCH function works.

The MATCH function is very similar to the VLOOKUP.  It’s job is to look through a range of cells and find a match.

The difference is that it returns a row or column number.

So why the Batman and Robin reference?

I like to think of MATCH as VLOOKUP’s little brother, or side-kick.  They do very similar jobs, but MATCH packs a smaller punch.

Batman is the VLOOKUP and returns a big value in the form of a cell’s value.  This can be text or a number.

Robin is the MATCH and returns a smaller value in the form of a number.

Hopefully this will help you remember and distinguish the difference between the two.

The Match Function Components

The MATCH function’s arguments are similar to the VLOOKUP’s.  The following image shows the Excel definition of the VLOOKUP function, and then my simple definition.  This simple definition just makes it easier for me to remember the three arguments.

I explain this simple definition below as we walk through an example of creating a VLOOKUP formula.

The MATCH Example

Let’s look at the Starbucks menu example again to learn MATCH.  In this example we want to use the MATCH function to return the column number for the size Grande.

I’ll explain why later, but for now we just want to answer the question:

“What is the column number for the size Grande?”

We will answer this question using the MATCH function.  You can download the file to follow along.

1. lookup_value – This is the what argument.

In the first argument we tell the VLOOKUP what we are looking for.  In this example we are looking for “Grande” in row 1.  I have entered the text “Grande” in cell A14, so we can make a reference to cell A14 in the formula.

2. lookup_array – This is the where argument.

Here we need to tell MATCH where to look for the word “Grande”.  I selected the range $A$1:$D$1, which contains the column header names.  MATCH will look through row 1 from left-to-right until it finds a match.

You can also specify a column for this argument.  In that case MATCH would look down the column from top-to-bottom to find a match.

3. [match_type] – The match type tells MATCH how precise to be with the lookup.

Here we specify if the function should look for an exact MATCH, or a value that is less than or greater than the lookup_value.

In this example we will use “Exact match”, which is represented by putting a 0 (zero) in the third argument.  When your MATCH is looking up text you will generally want to look for an exact match.

If you are looking up numbers with the MATCH function then the “Less than” or “Greater than” match types can be very useful.

The Result – Grande is in column 3.

The MATCH function was able to lookup the word “Grande” in row 1 and return the value of 3 in cell B14.

Now let’s see how the MATCH function can be a little more dynamic.  In the following screenshot I inserted a column to the left of column B with a new size, “Short”.

You will notice that the result of the MATCH formula changed to “4”.  This is because the word “Grande” is now in the 4th column of the lookup_array (A1:E1).

You are probably starting to see how this could help our original problem of the VLOOKUP returning the wrong result.

VLOOKUP & MATCH – The Dynamic Duo

Now let’s see how we can combine these two to create a dynamic formula.

We can use the MATCH function inside the VLOOKUP function.  Instead of specifying the column number with a static number “3”, we will use the MATCH function in its place.

Since the MATCH returns a number, it is a perfect fit for the VLOOKUP’s col_index_num argument.

The following example illustrates this.  You can follow along in the ‘VLOOKUP & MATCH Example’ sheet in the example file.

The original formula looked like the following:

=VLOOKUP(A14,$A$2:$E$10,4,FALSE)

In the new formula I replace the “4” with the MATCH formula:

=VLOOKUP(A14,$A$2:$E$10,MATCH(B14,$A$1:$E$1,0),FALSE)

The MATCH formula references cell B14, which contains the word “Grande”.  The formula looks up the word Grande in row 1 and returns a 4 as the result because Grande is in the fourth column of the range A1:E1.

The VLOOKUP formula is now much more dynamic with MATCH included.  We can add or delete columns to the menu (table), and the VLOOKUP will still return the price for the size that is specified in cell B14.

You could also change either the item in cell A14 or the size in cell B14 to return different prices in cell C14.

This makes the formula very flexible, and easier to reuse in other places in the workbook.

Conclusion

I hope this post has helped you understand how the VLOOKUP and MATCH functions can work together to be a dynamic duo.  This team of functions will help prevent errors in your formulas.  It will also help you create financial models that are more flexible for data retrieval and scenario analysis.

Series: The Lookup Functions Explained

This is the 2nd post in a series about the most commonly used lookup functions in Excel.

1. In the first post I explained the VLOOKUP function at Starbucks.
2. In this second post I explained how to make lookup formulas more dynamic with the VLOOKUP & MATCH functions.
3. In the third post I explain the INDEX function.

Please leave a comment below with any questions or comments.

VLOOKUP is an Excel function to get data from a table organized vertically. Lookup values must appear in the first column of the table passed into VLOOKUP.  VLOOKUP supports approximate and exact matching, and wildcards (* ?) for partial matches. 

Vertical data | Column Numbers | Only looks right | Matching Modes | Exact Match | Approximate Match | First Match | Wildcard Match | Two-way Lookup | Multiple Criteria | #N/A Errors | Videos

Introduction

VLOOKUP is probably the most famous function in Excel, for reasons both good and bad. On the good side, VLOOKUP is easy to use and does something very useful. For new users in particular, it is immensely satisfying to watch VLOOKUP scan a table, find a match, and return a correct result. Using VLOOKUP successfully is a rite of passage for new Excel users.

On the bad side, VLOOKUP is limited and has dangerous defaults. Unlike INDEX and MATCH (or XLOOKUP), VLOOKUP needs a complete table with lookup values in the first column. This makes it hard to use VLOOKUP with multiple criteria. In addition, VLOOKUP’s default matching behavior makes it easy to get incorrect results. Fear not. The key to using VLOOKUP successfully is mastering the basics. Read on for a complete overview.

Arguments

VLOOKUP takes four arguments: lookup_value, table_array, column_index_num, and range_lookup. Lookup_value is the value to look for, and table_array is the range of vertical data to look inside. The first column of table_array must contain the lookup values to search. The column_index_num argument is the column number of the value to retrieve, where the first column of table_array is column 1. Finally, range_lookup controls match behavior. If range_lookup is TRUE, VLOOKUP will perform an approximate match. If range_lookup is FALSE, VLOOKUP will perform an exact match. Important: range_lookup is optional and defaults to TRUE, so VLOOKUP will perform an approximate match by default. See below for more information on matching.

V is for vertical

The purpose of VLOOKUP is to look up information in a table like this:

With the Order number in column B as the lookup_value, VLOOKUP can get the Cust. ID, Amount, Name, and State for any order. For example, to get the name for order 1004, the formula is:

=VLOOKUP(1004,B5:F9,4,FALSE) // returns "Sue Martin"

To look up horizontal data, you can use HLOOKUP, INDEX and MATCH, or XLOOKUP.

VLOOKUP is based on column numbers

When you use VLOOKUP, imagine that every column in the table_array is numbered, starting from the left. To get a value from a given column, provide the number for column_index_num. For example, the column index to retrieve the first name below is 2:

By changing only column_index_num, you can look up columns 2, 3, and 4:

=VLOOKUP(H3,B4:E13,2,FALSE) // first name
=VLOOKUP(H3,B4:E13,3,FALSE) // last name
=VLOOKUP(H3,B4:E13,4,FALSE) // email address

Note: normally, we would use an absolute reference for H3 ($H$3) and B4:E13 ($B$4:$E$13) to prevent these from changing when the formula is copied. Above, the references are relative to make them easier to read.

VLOOKUP only looks right

VLOOKUP can only look to the right. In other words, you can only retrieve data to the right of the column that holds lookup values:

To look up values to the left, see INDEX and MATCH, or XLOOKUP.

Match modes

VLOOKUP has two modes of matching, exact and approximate, controlled by the fourth argument, range_lookup. The word «range» in this case refers to «range of values» – when range_lookup is TRUE, VLOOKUP will match a range of values rather than an exact value. A good example of this is using VLOOKUP to calculate grades. When range_lookup is FALSE, VLOOKUP performs an exact match, as in the example above.

Important: range_lookup is optional defaults to TRUE. This means approximate match mode is the default, which can be dangerous. Set range_lookup to FALSE to force exact matching:

=VLOOKUP(value,table,col_index) // approximate match (default)
=VLOOKUP(value,table,col_index,TRUE) // approximate match
=VLOOKUP(value,table,col_index,FALSE) // exact match

Tip: always supply a value for range_lookup as a reminder of expected behavior.

Note: You can also supply zero (0) for an exact match, and 1 for an approximate match.

Exact match example

In most cases, you’ll probably want to use VLOOKUP in exact match mode. This makes sense when you have a unique key to use as a lookup value, for example, the movie title in this data:

The formula in H6 to find Year, based on an exact match of the movie title, is:

=VLOOKUP(H4,B5:E9,2,FALSE) // FALSE = exact match

Approximate match example

In some cases, you will need an approximate match lookup instead of an exact match lookup. For example, below we want to find the correct commission percentage in the range G5:H10 based on the sales amount in column C. In this example, we need to use VLOOKUP in approximate match mode, because in most cases an exact match will never be found. The VLOOKUP formula in D5 is configured to perform an approximate match by setting the last argument to TRUE:

=VLOOKUP(C5,$G$5:$H$10,2,TRUE) // TRUE = approximate match

VLOOKUP will scan values in column G for the lookup value. If an exact match is found, VLOOKUP will use it. If not, VLOOKUP will «step back» and match the previous row.

Note: The table_array must be sorted in ascending order by lookup value to use an approximate match. If table_array is not sorted by the first column in ascending order, VLOOKUP may return incorrect or unexpected results.

First match only

In the case of duplicate matching values, VLOOKUP will find the first match. In the screen below, VLOOKUP is configured to find the price for the color «Green». There are three rows with the color Green, and VLOOKUP returns the price in the first row, $17. The formula in cell F5 is:

=VLOOKUP(E5,B5:C11,2,FALSE) // returns 17

Tip: To retrieve multiple matches with a lookup operation, see the FILTER function.

Wildcard match

The VLOOKUP function supports wildcards, which makes it possible to perform a partial match on a lookup value. For instance, you can use VLOOKUP to retrieve information from a table with a partial lookup_value and wildcard. To use wildcards with VLOOKUP, you must use exact match mode by providing FALSE for range_lookup. In the screen below, the formula in H7 retrieves the first name, «Michael», after typing «Aya» into cell H4. Notice the asterisk (*) wildcard is concatenated to the lookup value inside the VLOOKUP formula:

=VLOOKUP($H$4&"*",$B$5:$E$104,2,FALSE)

Read a more detailed explanation here.

Two-way lookup

Inside the VLOOKUP function, column_index_num is normally hard-coded as a static number. However, you can create a dynamic column index by using the MATCH function to locate the needed column. This technique allows you to create a dynamic two-way lookup, matching on both rows and columns. In the screen below, VLOOKUP is configured to perform a lookup based on Name and Month like this:

=VLOOKUP(H4,B5:E13,MATCH(H5,B4:E4,0),0)

For more details, see this example.

Note: In general, INDEX and MATCH is a more flexible way to perform two-way lookups.

Multiple criteria

The VLOOKUP function does not handle multiple criteria natively. However, you can use a helper column to join multiple fields together and use these fields like multiple criteria inside VLOOKUP.  In the example below, Column B is a helper column that concatenates first and last names together with this formula:

=C5&D5 // helper column

VLOOKUP is configured to do the same thing to create a lookup value. The formula in H6 is:

=VLOOKUP(H4&H5,B5:E13,4,0)

For details, see this example. For a more advanced, flexible approach, see this example.

Note: INDEX and MATCH and XLOOKUP are better for lookups based on multiple criteria.

VLOOKUP and #N/A errors

If you use VLOOKUP you will inevitably run into the #N/A error. The #N/A error means «not found». For example, in the screen below, the lookup value «Toy Story 2» does not exist in the lookup table, and all three VLOOKUP formulas return #N/A:

The #N/A error is useful because tells you something is wrong. The reason for #N/A might be:

• The lookup value does not exist in the table
• The lookup value is misspelled or contains extra space
• Match mode is exact, but should be approximate
• The table range is not entered correctly
• You are copying VLOOKUP, and the table reference is not locked

To «trap» the NA error and return a different value, you can use the IFNA function like this:

The formula in H6 is:

=IFNA(VLOOKUP(H4,B5:E9,2,FALSE),"Not found")

The message can be customized as desired. To return nothing (i.e. to display a blank result) when VLOOKUP returns #N/A you can use an empty string («») like this:

=IFNA(VLOOKUP(H4,B5:E9,2,FALSE),"") // no message

You can also use the IFERROR function to trap VLOOKUP #N/A errors. However, be careful with IFERROR, because it will catch any error, not just the #N/A error. Read more: VLOOKUP without #N/A errors 

More about VLOOKUP

• VLOOKUP with multiple criteria (basic)
• VLOOKUP with multiple criteria (advanced)
• How to use VLOOKUP to merge tables
• 23 tips for using VLOOKUP
• More VLOOKUP examples and videos
• XLOOKUP vs VLOOKUP

Other notes

• VLOOKUP performs an approximate match by default.
• VLOOKUP is not case-sensitive.
• Range_lookup controls the match mode. FALSE = exact, TRUE = approximate (default).
• If range_lookup is omitted or TRUE or 1: 
  • VLOOKUP will match the nearest value less than the lookup_value.
  • VLOOKUP will still use an exact match if one exists.
  • The column 1 of table_array must be sorted in ascending order.
• If range_lookup is FALSE or zero:
  • VLOOKUP performs an exact match.
  • Column 1 of table_array does not need to be sorted.