When working with spreadsheets, it’s crucial to know the functions that can help you quickly find the data you need. The VLOOKUP function is one of the most powerful features in Google Sheets for searching a column and returning a corresponding value. In this article, I’ll show you how to effectively use the VLOOKUP function. Get ready to be amazed!
Comparing VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and LOOKUP
Before I show you how to use the VLOOKUP function, let me explain the differences between VLOOKUP, HLOOKUP, and LOOKUP. While these functions have similar functionalities, each has its own advantages and disadvantages.
The VLOOKUP function is the most flexible of the three. Unlike HLOOKUP and LOOKUP, VLOOKUP can work with both vertically and horizontally arranged data. This means you can search for data in any column or row of your spreadsheet. In contrast, HLOOKUP only works for horizontally arranged data, and LOOKUP only works for vertically arranged data.
Another major difference is that VLOOKUP allows you to search for columns or rows that can be located anywhere on your spreadsheet. This can be very convenient when you have extensive data spread across multiple parts of your sheet. On the other hand, HLOOKUP and LOOKUP require the search column or row to be the first column or row of your data set, which can be quite restrictive.
However, keep in mind that the VLOOKUP function also has its drawbacks. First, it only works if the data is sorted. If the data is not sorted, VLOOKUP can give incorrect results without you realizing it. Additionally, VLOOKUP is also prone to giving approximate results when no exact match is found.
Now that you know the differences between these functions, let’s move on to some key tips for using VLOOKUP in Google Sheets.
Key Tips for Using VLOOKUP in Google Sheets
When using the “range_lookup” option of the VLOOKUP function, if your range contains more columns than rows, VLOOKUP will perform a left-to-right search on the first row of the range. This works like a horizontal search.
If your search key is not found, VLOOKUP will use the nearest search key in the range with a lower value. For example, if your search key is 7 but your data set contains 4, 5, 6, 8, and 9, VLOOKUP will use 6 as the search key.
And there you have it! You now know how to use the VLOOKUP function in Google Sheets. Isn’t it amazing?
If you need help sorting your data, check out our article on using the SORT function.
I hope this article has been helpful to you. Feel free to share it with your colleagues and friends using the share buttons on the left!
For more useful articles on Google Sheets, visit Crawlan.com.
