What is Vlookup in Excel

Vlookup (Vertical Lookup) is a built-in Excel function that allows us to search for a specific value in a table array, and return a corresponding value from a specified column.

It is commonly used to search data from large spreadsheets or tables.

The basic syntax of the Vlookup function is as follows:

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

lookup_value - The value you want to look up. This can be a number, text, or a cell reference.

table_array - The range of cells that contains the data you want to search. This can be a single sheet or a multi-sheet references.

col_index_num - The column number in the table_array from which the matching value should be returned.

This is the column in the table_array that contains the value that you want to return.

range_lookup -  A logical value (TRUE or FALSE) that specifies whether the function should find an exact match (FALSE) or an approximate match (TRUE).

Let us understand this through an example

For easy understanding, I have created this dummy table, having  four fields, Employee Id, Grade, First name and last name

He we will try to fine the First name or Last name of an employee based on  the Employee Id

Here you can see, we are searching for First name and last name of employee whose employee id is 3, 4 and 5.

It is clear from the formula, highlighted in red bold text

H4 is the lookup value i.e. the employee id

B3:E16 is the table array, this is the base table as shown in the table Data1

3 is the column index number.

The first column of table array would be the column index number1, 2nd column would be the column index number2 and so on.

0 is the match type, if we want to exact match the number or text we put 0 on the other hand for approximate match we put 1

Advantage of Vlookup Formula

1. It allows you to quickly search for and retrieve data from large spreadsheets or tables, saving you time and effort.

2. It ensures that data is returned based on a specific value, reducing the risk of errors.

3. It can be used to look up data from multiple worksheets within the same workbook, and it can also be used in combination with other formula or function.

4.It has a simple syntax and is easy to understand, making it accessible to users of all skill levels.

5.  It can be used to create dynamic data, where the value returned by the function updates automatically when the data in the table changes.

Conclusion:

VLOOKUP is a very powerful and versatile tool that can save you time and increase the accuracy, making it an essential function.

For anyone who works with large spreadsheets or tables in Excel or in google sheet.

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