What is VLOOKUP and how to use it!

If you had to ask your seniors or coworkers to help you with VLOOKUP, this blog is for you.
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After reading this, you won’t need to ask anyone to help you with VLOOKUP.

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What is VLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP, short for "vertical lookup," is a powerful tool in Excel that allows you to find and retrieve specific information from a table or range of data. Unlike other functions in Excel that only perform calculations, VLOOKUP enables you to perform data searches based on specific criteria and return a corresponding value from the same row.

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This can save a lot of time when working with large amounts of data, as it eliminates the need to manually search through the table or range to find the information you need. Additionally, because VLOOKUP is dynamic, any updates made to the data will be automatically reflected in the result, ensuring that your information is always up-to-date.

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When to use VLOOKUP?

You should use VLOOKUP when you have a large data set and need to search for specific information within that data set. Here are some common scenarios where you might use VLOOKUP:

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• Data consolidation: VLOOKUP can help you consolidate data from multiple sheets or tables into one central location.

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• Quick information search: When you have a large data set and you need to search for specific information quickly, such as employee salaries, product prices, or transaction dates, VLOOKUP can be a lifesaver.

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• Cross-referencing data: If you need to compare two data sets and find matching values, VLOOKUP can help you do that. For example, you can use VLOOKUP to match a product code in one data set with its corresponding description in another data set.

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• Data validation: When you need to check if a value exists in a data set and return a corresponding value, VLOOKUP can help you validate the entered data. For example, you can use VLOOKUP to validate that a product code exists in your data set and return its corresponding price.

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What is the syntax of VLOOKUP

The syntax of VLOOKUP looks something like this:

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• lookup_value: This parameter is the value that you want to search for in the first column of the table array.

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• table_array: The table array is the range of cells that contains the data you want to search through. The table array should include the first column that you are searching in and the columns that you want to return values from.

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• col_index_num: The column index number specifies the column in the table array that you want to return the value from. For example, if you want to return a value from column B, you would use a col_index_num of 2.

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• [range_lookup]: This optional argument sets whether you want an exact match or an approximate match. If you set this argument to TRUE or omit it, an approximate match will be returned. If you set this argument to FALSE, an exact match will be returned.

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How to use VLOOKUP?

In order to understand how exactly to use VLOOKUP and avoid mistakes, the following video will help you.

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Get to learn in-depth about VLOOKUP in Hindi, explained with examples.

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