VLOOKUP in Excel | COMPLETE Easy Guide (Beginner to Advanced)
This is a full beginner-friendly guide. Even if you never used Excel before, you will understand VLOOKUP step by step.
What is VLOOKUP (Very Simple)?
VLOOKUP means: Find something in a table and return matching data.
Example: You have ID → You want Price → VLOOKUP finds it for you.
VLOOKUP Formula
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
- lookup_value → What you are searching (ID)
- table_array → Where to search (table)
- col_index_num → Which column to return
- range_lookup → FALSE = exact match
Step-by-Step (Very Easy)
- Click empty cell
- Type =VLOOKUP(
- Select lookup value
- Select full table
- Enter column number
- Type FALSE
- Press Enter
Example 1 (Same Sheet)
| ID | Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Clip A | 5 |
| 102 | Clip B | 7 |
| 103 | Clip C | 9 |
=VLOOKUP(102, A2:C4, 3, FALSE)
Result → 7
Example 2 (Another Sheet)
=VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!A2:C10, 3, FALSE)
This pulls data from another worksheet.
Important Rules
- Lookup column must be FIRST column
- Always use FALSE for exact match
- Use $ to lock table → $A$2:$C$10
- Cannot look left ❌
Common Errors
- #N/A → Value not found
- #REF! → Column number wrong
- #VALUE! → Wrong input type
Fix: Check spelling, numbers, and table range.
Practice
| ID | Name | Price |
|---|---|---|
| 201 | Item A | 10 |
| 202 | Item B | 20 |
| 203 | Item C | 30 |
