What Are the Essential Lookup Functions in Excel?

In most Microsoft Office Training Programs, tutors usually focus on helping students grasp Microsoft Excel lookup functions and how to use them. Therefore, it becomes critical for learners to become highly proficient and fast in completing assignments.

The Lookup functions can help you search for a given value in one row or column of data and then get data in the same place in a different row or column.

As an Excel user, if you frequently question how you will find a value in a sheet and match it with a value to a different sheet, you need to know how to lookup in Microsoft Excel.

Lookup Functions in Excel

There are two forms of Lookup functions in Excel, and we are going to explain them individually, starting with the Array.

Lookup Functions-Array Form

Array simply means a range of cells where you can search for a lookup value. This form of the Lookup function helps search for a particular value in the first column or row and recovers a value from the same place in the last column or row of the array.

The Array Lookup presents these two arguments:

LOOKUP (Lookup value, array)

Where:

Lookup value is the value to be searched for in an array.

An array is where to search for the value. Note that you must sort the values in the first row or column of the array in ascending order whether you are doing a Vertical Lookup or Horizontal Lookup.

It is important to note that there are more rows than columns in array form, or if the number of rows and columns are similar, then a lookup formula will search in the first column or horizontal lookup. 

Similarly, if there are more columns than rows in the array, the lookup formula will search in the first row or vertical lookup.

Sometimes, Excel array formulas may be confused with Excel Lookup functions because they both operate on arrays. Therefore be careful in differentiating them.

Vector Form

This form refers to a one-row or a one-column range. We use it to search one row or column of data for a specific given value and retrieve a value from the same position in another row or column.

Vector lookup uses the following formula:

LookUp(Look_Up value,Look_Up vector, [result_vector])

Where:

Lookup_value is a value to search for. This value can be numerals or a cell containing the lookup value.

Lookup_vector is a row or column that needs to be searched and sorted in ascending manner.

Result_vector is a range of rows or columns from which the result can be returned.

The lookup function is not case-sensitive in Excel, so it does not differentiate between lower or upper case text. Also, it is worth noting that both lookup and result vector must be a row or a column range of similar sizes.

The other widely used lookup functions in excel are:-

1. VLOOKUP function

2. HLOOKUP function

3. INDEX-MATCH lookup formula

4. OFFSET-MATCH Lookup Formula

Try utilizing these lookup mentioned above lookup functions in order to deliver assigned tasks expeditiously. Thus, it ensures to save your time and effort. For better understanding, refer to the Microsoft Office training programs.