Using the VLOOKUP Function
Vlookup - a great function to know, though if it may seem confusing at first.
Vlookup - a great function to know, though if it may seem confusing at first.
It is simple to use if:
Ensure you have the same unique identifier on both datasets.
The datasets that you want to join are in a single document, with each dataset on a separate worksheet.
Ensure your unique identifier is in col A of the dataset you are sourcing the information from.
Remember to remove all data filters!
How to get started
There are four pieces of information that you will need in order to build the VLOOKUP syntax:
The value you want to look up, also called the lookup value.
The range where the lookup value is located. Remember that the lookup value should always be in the first column in the range for VLOOKUP to work correctly. For example, if your lookup value is in cell C2 then your range should start with C.
The column number in the range that contains the return value. For example, if you specify B2:D11 as the range, you should count B as the first column, C as the second, and so on.
Optionally, you can specify TRUE if you want an approximate match or FALSE if you want an exact match of the return value. If you don't specify anything, the default value will always be TRUE or approximate match.
Now put all of the above together as follows:
=VLOOKUP(lookup value, range containing the lookup value, the column number in the range containing the return value, Approximate match (TRUE) or Exact match (FALSE)).
Examples
Here are a few examples of VLOOKUP:
Example 1
Example 2
Example 3
Example 4
Example 5
Vertical lookup.
Searches for a value in the first column of a range. If it finds a match, it takes that row, and returns the value in the cell for the specified column.
Search_key
The value you want to search for. The unique identifier that is common to both datasets.
Range
The block of data in which contains the search_key and return a value. NB: the Vlookup function searches for the search_key in the first column of this range
Index
A number, specifying the position of the column in the range , that contains the values we wish to get (1-indexed)
[is_sorted]
For most purposes, this will always be FALSE
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