Search returns column header or error if value not found

Will you please attach a sample Excel workbook?

1. Make sure that your sample data are REPRESENTATIVE of your real data. The use of unrepresentative data is very frustrating and can lead to long delays in reaching a solution.

2. Make sure that your desired solution is also shown (mock up the results manually).

3. Make sure that all confidential data is removed or replaced with dummy data first (e.g. names, addresses, E-mails, etc.).

4. Try to avoid using merged cells as they cause lots of problems.

Unfortunately the attachment icon doesn't work at the moment, so to attach an Excel file you have to do the following: just before posting, scroll down to Go Advanced and then scroll down to Manage Attachments. Now follow the instructions at the top of that screen.

Please pay particular attention to point 2 (above): without an idea of your intended outcomes, it is often very difficult to offer appropriate advice.

LOL! Glad to have helped ... sort of.

If that takes care of your original question, please select Thread Tools from the menu link above and mark this thread as SOLVED. Thanks.

As I said before, unfortunately the attachment icon doesn't work at the moment, so to attach an Excel file you have to do the following: just before posting, scroll down to Go Advanced and then scroll down to Manage Attachments. Now follow the instructions at the top of that screen.

This should work:

=IFERROR(INDEX(PAYEES!$A$1:$K$1,IF(SUMPRODUCT((PAYEES!$A$2:$K$4='2016'!C1)*(COLUMN(PAYEES!$A$1:$K$1)))=0,"",SUMPRODUCT((PAYEES!$A$2:$K$4='2016'!C1)*(COLUMN(PAYEES!$A$1:$K$1))))),"")

confirmed by pressing CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER to activate the array, not just ENTER. You will know the array is active when you see curly braces { } appear around your formula. If you do not CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER you will get an error or a clearly incorrect answer.

You're welcome!