In the example shown, the VLOOKUP formula looks like this: In “exact match mode” VLOOKUP will check every value in the first column of the supplied table for the lookup value. If it finds an exact match, VLOOKUP will return a value from the same row, using the supplied column number. If no exact match is found, VLOOKUP will return the #N/A error. Note: it’s important to require an exact match using FALSE or 0 for the last argument, which is called “range_lookup”). Otherwise, VLOOKUP might return an incorrect result.

Dave Bruns

Hi - I’m Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.