VLOOKUP Issue

**Zander** · 03-18-2009, 05:19 PM

I am trying to use VLOOKUP to auto-populate a description from an entered part number. After checking up on how to do this in several different places I applied this formula to the relevant cell but all that it returns is #N/A.

I am very confused as all seems to be correct, but I am new to this and I am sure I am missing something silly. :P

On entering a part number into cell C13 on sheet 'Stores Receipt' it should search and find that number in column A on sheet 'Product List', it should then return the adjacent description from column B on sheet 'Product List' and show this in cell C17 on sheet 'Stores Receipt'.... Sounds simple hey! :D

The formula used is:

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Any advice would be appreciated.

**dominicb** · 03-18-2009, 05:26 PM

Good evening Zander

...and welcome to the forum!!

Originally Posted by Zander

I am very confused as all seems to be correct, but I am new to this and I am sure I am missing something silly. :P

You certainly are matey, but don't worry! Just about every Excel user has been caught out with this at some time or other!

Your value in C13 is a number.
Your values in column A of the product list are text strings that look like numbers (ie the digits are preceded by a ' (apostrophe).

You need to either add an apostrophe before the digits in C13, or go through column A abd remove the apostrophe from each cell. It will work fine then.

HTH

DominicB

**Simon Lloyd** · 03-18-2009, 05:26 PM

Your problem is your vlookup is looking for a number when your numbers on the Product sheet are stored as text!

**Zander** · 03-18-2009, 05:50 PM

Thanks for the response and the welcome!

Indeed it was something silly. I have overcome this by formatting cell C13 also as text which has solved the problem.

I stored the numbers as text as this stops it from omitting the 0 from numbers that begin with 0. Is there a way to stop this so that they can be treated as a number?