Why is my VLOOKUP not working when there is a match?

Problem: The exact match is not found Solution: If you are sure the relevant data exists in your spreadsheet and VLOOKUP is not catching it, take time to verify that the referenced cells don’t have hidden spaces or non-printing characters. Also, ensure that the cells follow the correct data type.

Why is my lookup function not working?

For the LOOKUP function to work correctly, the data being looked up must be sorted in ascending order. If this is not possible, consider using the VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, or MATCH functions. … … or replace the data in columns E and G, and use the VLOOKUP function. In this case, the data don’t need to be sorted.

Why is my VLOOKUP not returning results?

VLOOKUP returning incorrect results If you omit to supply match type in a range_lookup argument of VLOOKUP then by default it searches for approximate match values, if it does not find exact match value. And if table_array is not sorted in ascending order by the first column, then VLOOKUP returns incorrect results.

How do you do a VLOOKUP exact match?

In its simplest form, the VLOOKUP function says: =VLOOKUP(What you want to look up, where you want to look for it, the column number in the range containing the value to return, return an Approximate or Exact match – indicated as 1/TRUE, or 0/FALSE).

Why is VLOOKUP not finding a value?

If lookup value is not present in the first column of a table_array, then VLOOKUP generates #NA error. To fix this error, you must arrange your columns correctly and then select your table_array in VLOOKUP function.

Why is VLOOKUP not working with text?

Text values or data types do not match Another common reason for VLOOKUP failure is the difference between your lookup value and a similar value in the lookup column. In some cases, the difference is so subtle that it’s hard to spot visually.

How do I fix a VLOOKUP table array?

Locking the VLOOKUP

1. An Absolute Reference can be created by typing a “$” in front of either the row or column of a cell reference.
2. We can take this same approach to a set of data by creating Absolute References to the starting and ending cells of the table array.

Why is my VLOOKUP returning NA when value exists?

The most common cause of the #N/A error is with XLOOKUP, VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, LOOKUP, or MATCH functions if a formula can’t find a referenced value. For example, your lookup value doesn’t exist in the source data. In this case there is no “Banana” listed in the lookup table, so VLOOKUP returns a #N/A error.

Can VLOOKUP return array?

As mentioned in the beginning of this tutorial, there is no way to make Excel VLOOKUP return multiple values. The task can be accomplished by using the following functions in an array formula: IF – evaluates the condition and returns one value if the condition is met, and another value if the condition is not met.

Why does VLOOKUP not return a value?

The column index number, or col_index_num, is used by the VLOOKUP function to enter what information to return about a record. Because this is entered as an index number, it is not very durable. If a new column is inserted into the table, it could stop your VLOOKUP from working.

How do I select a table array in VLOOKUP?

Select ‘Function’ (Fx) > VLOOKUP and insert this formula into your highlighted cell. Enter the lookup value for which you want to retrieve new data. Enter the table array of the spreadsheet where your desired data is located. Enter the column number of the data you want Excel to return.

How do I stop a VLOOKUP from returning na?

To hide the #N/A error that VLOOKUP throws when it can’t find a value, you can use the IFERROR function to catch the error and return any value you like. When VLOOKUP can’t find a value in a lookup table, it returns the #N/A error.

Can match function return an array?

match can output an array of values with ranges or arrays as input arguments.

How do I VLOOKUP an array in Excel?

The VLOOKUP function can be combined with other functions such as the Sum, Max, or Average to calculate values in multiple columns. As this is an array formula, to make it work we simply need to press CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER at the end of the formula. A very powerful feature for any serious analyst!

How do I use VLOOKUP to find matching data in Excel?

How to use VLOOKUP in Excel

1. Step 1: Organize the data.
2. Step 2: Tell the function what to lookup.
3. Step 3: Tell the function where to look.
4. Step 4: Tell Excel what column to output the data from.
5. Step 5: Exact or approximate match.

Why does my VLOOKUP keep returning na?

Can you INDEX match an array?

The INDEX function can handle arrays natively, so the second INDEX is added only to “catch” the array created with the boolean logic operation and return the same array again to MATCH. To do this, INDEX is configured with zero rows and one column.

Why is the value of my lookup array not matching?

Possible Reason No. 1 You may have unseen characters, such as spaces, at the start or end of either the value you are looking up, or in the cells of your lookup array. These characters cause the lookup value and the ‘matching’ member of the lookup array to have different values.

Why does my lookup or match function return false results?

In this case you need to check that you have input your original Lookup or Match function correctly. If the formula evaluates to FALSE, however, this tells you that the cause of your error is that the contents of cells B1 and E6 are not truly equal.

Why did my lookup fail to find the correct value?

For example, if a lookup function was used in the spreadsheet below, the user might expect the lookup value “1110004” in cell B1 to match the value “1110004” in cell E6. If your function fails to find this match (signalled by the #N/A error), this may be because Excel does not consider the two values to be exactlyequal.

Why is my Excel function not matching my values?

If your function fails to find this match (signalled by the #N/A error), this may be because Excel does not consider the two values to be exactly equal. You can test for this problem via the following steps: First, check for equality between the cells that you believe should match.