Limitations of VLOOKUP One major limitation of VLOOKUP is that it cannot look to the left. The values to lookup must always be on the left-most column of the range and the values to return must be on the right hand side. You cannot use the standard VLOOKUP to look at the columns and the rows to find an exact match.
How do you overcome limitations in VLOOKUP?
Now the task of getting Emp ID is simple using Vlookup. This will result into below: This solves the problem to an extent but rarely you will have a choice to copy the columns on the right in the master table. So another solution to this is using a combination of Index and Match function.
Is there a cell limit for a VLOOKUP?
Way to overcome Excel Vlookup function limit of 256 characters.
What is the alternative for VLOOKUP?
INDEX-MATCH 1) INDEX-MATCH: If you dont have an Office 365 subscription, INDEX-MATCH is your best alternative to VLOOKUP. INDEX formula provides you with the exact location of a cell in a range. By nesting the MATCH formula in INDEX, you can replace VLOOKUP in a much more robust way.
Why do we need VLOOKUP in Excel?
When you need to find information in a large spreadsheet, or you are always looking for the same kind of information, use the VLOOKUP function. VLOOKUP works a lot like a phone book, where you start with the piece of data you know, like someones name, in order to find out what you dont know, like their phone number.
What are the advantages of using VLOOKUP?
What are the benefits of using the VLOOKUP?A VLOOKUP can lookup data automatically instead of a person having to do it manually, so time-saving is the first benefit that springs to mind. VLOOKUP takes four arguments, in the following format:VLOOKUP(Lookup_value, Table_array, Col_index_num, Range_lookup)More items •12 May 2020
How many columns can VLOOKUP handle?
The syntax for VLOOKUP is =VLOOKUP (value, table_array, col_index, [range_lookup]). In its general format, you can use it to look up on one column at a time. However, tweaking the formula allows us to use VLOOKUP to look across multiple columns. VLOOKUP doesnt handle multiple columns.
How many columns can you have in VLOOKUP?
The syntax for VLOOKUP is =VLOOKUP (value, table_array, col_index, [range_lookup]). In its general format, you can use it to look up on one column at a time. However, tweaking the formula allows us to use VLOOKUP to look across multiple columns. VLOOKUP doesnt handle multiple columns.
How do I do a VLOOKUP with two values?
To set up a multiple criteria VLOOKUP, follow these 3 steps: Add a helper column and concatenate (join) values from columns you want to use for your criteria. Set up VLOOKUP to refer to a table that includes the helper column. The helper column must be the first column in the table.
How do I eliminate duplicates?
Remove duplicate valuesSelect the range of cells that has duplicate values you want to remove. Tip: Remove any outlines or subtotals from your data before trying to remove duplicates.Click Data > Remove Duplicates, and then Under Columns, check or uncheck the columns where you want to remove the duplicates. Click OK.
What are the two main causes of errors for VLOOKUP?
There could be some reasons why VLOOKUP returns this error.Extra Spaces in Lookup Value. Typo mistake in Lookup_Value. Numeric values are formatted as Text. Lookup Value not in First column of table array.More items
Which is better INDEX-match or VLOOKUP?
INDEX-MATCH is much better: Its never slower than VLOOKUP and can be much faster. It returns a reference rather than a value, which allows us to use it for more purposes. It doesnt care where the result array is with regard to the lookup array.
Why is VLOOKUP so important?
When you need to find information in a large spreadsheet, or you are always looking for the same kind of information, use the VLOOKUP function. VLOOKUP works a lot like a phone book, where you start with the piece of data you know, like someones name, in order to find out what you dont know, like their phone number.
Why is pivot table used?
A Pivot Table is used to summarise, sort, reorganise, group, count, total or average data stored in a table. It allows us to transform columns into rows and rows into columns. It allows grouping by any field (column), and using advanced calculations on them.
Can you use VLOOKUP for 2 columns?
VLOOKUP is primarily used to look for a value in the leftmost column of the table and return the corresponding value from another column on the right. You can use Excel VLOOKUP multiple columns by using an Array Formula!