VLOOKUP Function in Excel

Master VLOOKUP in Excel for workplace administration and finance. Step-by-step lookup guide, exact match rules, and how to avoid the #N/A error.

Syntax & Formula

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])

VLOOKUP searches for a value in the first column of a table and returns a value in the same row from a specified column.

Workplace Example

=VLOOKUP(A2, Products!$A$2:$D$500, 3, FALSE)

Common Mistakes to Avoid

Forgetting FALSE for exact match, leading to incorrect approximate matches. Inserting a column breaks hardcoded column index numbers.

Practise this in the spreadsheet simulator