Excel tables are amazing, you should use them whether you have 2 rows or 200,000 rows of data! When you use Vlookup formulas for searching in Excel tables, your formula becomes dynamic due to its structured references. This means that as Excel tables expand and more data are added, the second parameter of your Vlookup formula ( table_array ) does not need to be updated because it references the entire Excel table , referenced by table names such as Table1 , Table2 , or Table3 , etc. In the example below, our Excel table name is Table2 , and the Vlookup formula does not need to be adjusted when we add more rows of data. How cool is this?

You can read the benefits of using Excel Sheets here: Excel Sheets

Key Points

• VLOOKUP function is used for table searches - VLOOKUP is usually used to search for a value in the first column of a table and return a value from another column of the same row.
• Absolute vs. Relative References - When using VLOOKUP in a table, make sure the table array uses absolute references (e.g. $A$2:$D$10) to prevent errors when copying formulas across cells.
• Column index is used for data retrieval - The column index number determines which column data VLOOKUP will return. The first column is always 1, the second column is 2, and so on.
• Exact match vs approximate match - By default, VLOOKUP performs approximate matches. To get an exact match, set the last parameter to FALSE.
• Table references using structured references - When using VLOOKUP and tables, use structured references such as TableName[ColumnName] to make the formula more readable, rather than using cell references.

Table of contents

Quick Overview

What does it do?

Search for a value in the first column of the table array and return a value from another column in the same row of the table array (to the right).

Formula decomposition:

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

What it means:

=VLOOKUP(This value, TableName, and get the value from this column, exactly match /FALSE/0])

How to use Vlookup in Excel sheets

Step 1: We need to convert the data into an Excel table. Press Ctrl T and press OK.

Step 2: Now let's create a formula to get the price of your laptop. We use the VLOOKUP formula:

=VLOOKUP(G15, Table1, 2, FALSE)

This will get the lookup value ( laptop in cell G15) and search in the first column of Table1 .

After that it will get the value in column #2 , i.e. the price . FALSE means we want exact matches.

Step 3: Drag the formula down to copy it into the entire table. Note that the second line is looking for the price of the mouse . This does not exist in our data table.

Step 4: Now add and enter a new row of the mouse price in our table.

The beauty of this is that our VLOOKUP formula is still working properly. Since we are using Table1, there is no need to update the range of values ??that VLOOKUP will use. Now it automatically includes the mouse price and is retrieved immediately.

Frequently Asked Questions

What is the purpose of VLOOKUP function in Excel?

VLOOKUP is used to find a value in the first column of a table and return the corresponding value from another column of the same row, making it very useful in data retrieval and matching.

How to prevent errors when copying VLOOKUP formulas across cells?

Use absolute references to table arrays (for example, $A$2:$D$10) to ensure that the range does not move when copying the formula to another cell.

How does column index numbers work in VLOOKUP formula?

A column index is the column number in the table from which you want to retrieve data. The first column is 1, the second column is 2, and so on.

What is the difference between approximate and exact matches in VLOOKUP?

Approximate matches (default) look for the closest value below the lookup value, while exact matches (by setting the last parameter to FALSE) require exact matches.

How to use VLOOKUP instead of cell reference in Excel sheet?

Use structured references in your VLOOKUP formulas, such as TableName[ColumnName] , which makes the formula easier to read and less error-prone than using traditional cell references.

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