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VLOOKUP with an exact match

Find a value in the first column of a table and return a value from another column in the same row.

The formula

Argument separator
Excel and Google Sheets
=VLOOKUP(A2, Products!$A$2:$C$100, 3, FALSE)

How it works

  1. A2

    The value to look for, here a product code.

  2. Products!$A$2:$C$100

    The table to search. The code must be in its first column. $ signs keep the range fixed when you fill down.

  3. 3

    Return the value from the 3rd column of the table (the price).

  4. FALSE

    Exact match only. Without it, VLOOKUP guesses and can return the wrong row.

Example

A: CodeB: QtyC: Result (price)
P-101412.50
P-205189.00
P-9992#N/A

Tips

  • #N/A means the code was not found. Check for extra spaces or numbers stored as text.
  • VLOOKUP cannot look to the left. Use XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH when the return column is before the lookup column.