Examples for the excel vlookup formula
Copy these examples into a spreadsheet and adjust the ranges for your own data.
Exact match lookup
=VLOOKUP(A2, A10:C20, 2, FALSE)Looks for the value in A2 within the first column of A10:C20 and returns the matching value from the second column.
Return a different column
=VLOOKUP("North", A2:D12, 4, FALSE)Finds North in the first column of A2:D12 and returns the value from column 4 of that same row.
Sorted approximate lookup
=VLOOKUP(17, A1:C10, 3, TRUE)Uses a sorted first column to find an approximate match and return a value from the third column.
When to use VLOOKUP
Use VLOOKUP when you need to search for a value in the first vertical column of a range and returns the corresponding cell in another vertical column.
- Find matching values in tables and ranges.
- Connect IDs, names, and categories across spreadsheet data.
How VLOOKUP works in Quadratic
In Quadratic, VLOOKUP follows the syntax VLOOKUP(search_key, search_range, output_col, [is_sorted]). The function works inside Quadratic formulas and can be combined with spreadsheet ranges, tables, and other formulas.
Common VLOOKUP mistakes
Most VLOOKUP issues come from mismatched argument types, ranges that do not cover the intended data, or optional parameters being omitted when the default behavior is not what you expected.
- Check each required parameter before copying the formula across a sheet.
- Confirm that ranges line up with the rows or columns you intend to analyze.
- Use Quadratic AI to explain or debug the formula when the result looks wrong.