The formula in D5 does an approximate match to retrieve the correct commission: =VLOOKUP(C5,$G$5:$H$10,2,TRUE) // TRUE = approximate matchĦ. Instead, you want VLOOKUP to get you the best match for a given lookup value. In these cases, you likely won't find the exact lookup value in the table. For example, perhaps you're looking up postage based on weight, looking up tax rate based on income, or looking up a commission rate based on a monthly sales number. However, you'll want to use approximate mode in cases where you're not matching on a unique id, but rather you're looking up the "best match" or the "best category". The formula in H6 to lookup year based on an exact match of movie title is: =VLOOKUP(H4,B5:E9,2,FALSE) // FALSE = exact match This makes sense when you want to lookup information based on a unique key of some kind, for example, product information based on a product code, or movie data based on a movie title: In most cases, you'll probably want to use VLOOKUP in exact match mode. VLOOKUP has two modes of operation: exact match and approximate match. We also offer paid training for VLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH 5. In the example below, we are looking for uppercase "JANET" but VLOOKUP does not distinguish case so it simply matches "Janet", since that's the first match it finds: To VLOOKUP, a product code like "PQRF" is identical to "pqrf". When looking up a value, VLOOKUP does not process upper and lower case text differently. This article explains the topic in detail. Note: behavior can change when VLOOKUP is used in approximate match mode. Although there are two "Janet"s in the list, VLOOKUP matches only the first: In the example below, we are using VLOOKUP to find a first name, and VLOOKUP is set to perform exact match. In exact match mode, if a lookup column contains duplicate values, VLOOKUP will match the first value only. You can overcome this limitation by using INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP. You'll also have to supply a smaller table to VLOOKUP that starts with the lookup column. However, if the lookup column appears inside the table somewhere, you'll only be able to lookup values from columns to the right of that column. When lookup values appear in the first (leftmost) column, this limitation doesn't mean much, since all other columns are already to the right. This means that VLOOKUP can only get data from columns to the right of first column in the table. Perhaps the biggest limitation of VLOOKUP is that it can only look to the right to retrieve data. If you still don't get the basic idea of VLOOKUP, Jon Acampora, over at Excel Campus, has a great explanation based on the Starbucks coffee menu. The match mode (range_lookup, TRUE = approximate, FALSE = exact).The number of the column from which to retrieve a result (column_index).The range of cells that make up the table (table_array).The value you are looking for (lookup_value).To use VLOOKUP, you supply 4 pieces of information, or "arguments": In the above table, the employee IDs are in column 1 on the left and the email addresses are in column 4 to the right. In the example below, we want to look up the email address, so we are using the number 4 for column index: To get a value from a particular column, simply supply the appropriate number as the "column index". When you use VLOOKUP, imagine that every column in the table is numbered, starting from the left. The data you want to retrieve (result values) can appear in any column to the right. VLOOKUP requires that the table be structured so that lookup values appear in the left-most column. If you have a well structured table, with information arranged vertically, and a column on the left which you can use to match a row, you can probably use VLOOKUP. (For horizontally structured data, see HLOOKUP). The "V" in VLOOKUP stands for vertical, which means the data in the table must be arranged vertically, with data in rows. VLOOKUP is a function to lookup up and retrieve data in a table. Read below to learn how to manage this challenge, and discover other tips for mastering the Excel VLOOKUP function. Trust me, this is NOT something you want to try to explain to your boss, after she's already sent your spreadsheet to management :) This can cause results that look completely normal, even though they are totally incorrect. One reason is that VLOOKUP has a major design flaw - by default, it assumes you're OK with an approximate match. When you want to pull information from a table, the Excel VLOOKUP function is a great solution. The ability to dynamically lookup and retrieve information from a table is a game-changer for many users, and you'll find VLOOKUP everywhere.Īnd yet, although VLOOKUP is relatively easy to use, there is plenty that can go wrong.
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