How-To use the V-lookup Function in Excel.

Hello.

At my past job, I got this question asked a lot about how to use the V-Lookup function. The confusion was in how the function searches the 'Table-Array'; most users believe the function searches the entire table in the vertical direction. However, this is not true, since it ONLY searches the first Column in a row-by-row pattern. Once the item is found in question, the V-lookup will then return the answer based on the column-index.

Now, the H-Lookup function is nearly identical to the V-Lookup function with one difference; instead of Vertical lookup, it uses Hortizonal lookup. But, again, the actual search occurs ONLY in the first row in a column-by-column pattern.

FYI: I have also provided a short video, if you want to learn more, about using the V-Lookup function; http://youtu.be/ZhBDz110QnA.

I have attached an Excel worksheet showing the use of the V-lookup and H-Lookup function in the first tab. Feel free to download and use this sample spreadsheet.

Let me know if you have any questions about the use of the function.

Thanks,
Ben

Ben, thank you for sharing this, I will move it to the Tips and Tutorials forum.

1 mistake that many users many users make is that the search critaria in VLOOKUP() must be in the 1st column of the range - vlookup cannot (generally) look "behind" or to the left if the column containing the search criteria

out of interest you could also use

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on your sheet to get the same result. (which may be easier?)

koolxx, I doubt there is an actual question, it was just an example of how VLOOKUP() works