The document provides solutions for common Excel lookup and matching problems using functions like VLOOKUP, INDEX, MATCH, IF, and more. It gives examples of formulas to: 1) Look up a value in a table and return multiple corresponding values if there are multiple matches, instead of just the first match. 2) Find the text in one sheet that matches each number in another sheet using VLOOKUP and IF functions. 3) Retrieve values from one table by matching pairs of items and types from another table using INDEX and MATCH functions. The document provides examples and explanations for various lookup and matching challenges in Excel.

1. Samples:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A3,PostCodeFull!
$A$3:$G$25000,7,FALSE)),0,VLOOKUP(A3,PostCodeFull!
$A$3:$G$25000,7,FALSE))
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(P3,Addressbook!$A$3:$G$25000,7,FALSE)),0,VLOOKUP(P3,
Addressbook !$A$3:$G$25000,7,FALSE))
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP($B3,CostAve02!$A$3:$I$65000,9,FALSE)),"No
Cost",VLOOKUP($B3, CostAve02!$A$3:$I$65000,9,FALSE))
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(P3,Addressbook!
(A3:E2000,3,FALSE)),"Missing",A3,VLOOKUP(Addressbook!(P3,A3:E20000,3,FALSE)))
Check data type, numeric to numeric column or text to text type data
1Problem:
Column B contains values to look up in List1 (Column A).
How could we alter the results returned by the VLOOKUP function so that they will
include the original value looked up and a ""Found""/""Not Found"" indication?
1.Solution:
Use the ISNA and VLOOKUP functions in an IF statement, as follows:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B2,$A$2:$A$7,1,FALSE)),B2&"" Not
Found"",VLOOKUP(B2,$A$2:$A$7,1,FALSE)&"" Found"")
List1_____Values to look______Result
Blue______Pink________________Pink Not Found
Red_______Blue________________Blue Found
Green_____White_______________White Not Found
Black_____Purple______________Purple Not Found
Yellow____Red_________________Red Found
Orange
Problem:
Columns A & B contain two lists of values.
We want to create a formula that will check whether there is any duplication of
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2. values within either list (blank cells are to be ignored).
Solution:
Use the COUNTA, SUMPRODUCT, and COUNTIF functions as shown in the following
formula:
=IF(COUNTA(A2:A7)=SUMPRODUCT((A2:A7<>"")/COUNTIF(A2:A7,A2:A7&"")),"No
Duplicates","Duplicates")
The formula will return "Duplicates" if the list contains duplicate values, otherwise it will
return "No Duplicates".
List1____List2
1________1
2
3________B
A________2
________3
1________4
Problem:
Column B in sheet1 contains numbers. Columns B:C in sheet2 contain numbers
and their matching text.
How could we find the text in sheet2 matching each number in sheet1?
Solution:
The following formula will find the text in sheet2 matching to the number in cell B13 in
sheet1:
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B13,$B$20:$B$24,1,FALSE)),"Not
Found",VLOOKUP(B13,$B$20:$C$24,2,FALSE))
In case the number is not found in sheet2, using ISNA function, the formula will return
Not Found.
Example:
Sheet1
Number__Result_______Formula
1_______One__________=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B13,$B$20:$B$24,1,FALSE)),"Not
Found",VLOOKUP(B13,$B$20:$C$24,2,FALSE((
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3. 9_______Not Found____=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B14,$B$20:$B$24,1,FALSE)),"Not
Found",VLOOKUP(B14,$B$20:$C$24,2,FALSE((
3_______Three________=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B15,$B$20:$B$24,1,FALSE)),"Not
Found",VLOOKUP(B15,$B$20:$C$24,2,FALSE))
Sheet2
Number__Text
4_______Four
5_______Five
3_______Three
6_______Six
1_______One
To eliminate errors that occur when using the Vlookup Formula:
In the screenshot below are four Vlookup Formulas. In this example, we asume that the
index number 1346 is not included in the index list in the leftmost column of the data
table, the index number 1353 is included and the defined Name for the data table is Data:
Cell C2: The fourth argument of the Vlookup Formula is empty, therefore, the formula
returns a result according to a number equal to or less than the lookup number from the
index list.
Cell C4: In the fourth argument of the Vlookup Formula = FALSE, therefore, the formula
returns errors when the lookup value is not included in the index list, which is the leftmost
column of the data table.
Cell C6: The ISERROR formula, nested in the IF formula, returns TRUE when Vlookup
Formula returns an error, and therefore, the final result is 0.
Cell C8: The ISERROR formula nested in the IF formula returns FALSE and the Vlookup
formula returns the appropriate result number.
Problem:
Columns C & D contain pairs of row and column numbers representing some of
the cells in Data Range (A2:B5).
We want to create a cell reference from each pair of numbers in columns C & D and
then retrieve the value stored in that cell.
Solution:
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4. "Use the INDIRECT and ADDRESS functions as shown in the following formula:
=INDIRECT(ADDRESS(C2,D2))
Problem:
Range1 (A3:C7) contains file names with their matching types and sizes.
Range2 (A12:B16) contains a similar list of file names but with matching types only.
We want to find the appropriate file sizes from Range1 by matching each pair of file
names and types from both ranges.
Solution:
Use the INDEX and MATCH functions as shown in the following formula:
{=INDEX($C$3:$C$7,MATCH(A12&B12,$A$3:$A$7&$B$3:$B$7,0))}
(To create Array formula: select the cell after typing the formula,press F2 and then press
Ctrl+Shift+Enter)
Example:
Range1
File Name_______File Type_______Size (KB)
file1___________xls_____________500
file2___________doc_____________80
file3___________ppt_____________800
file4___________xls_____________400
file1___________ppt_____________1200
Range2
File Name_____________File Type_____________Size (KB) from Range1
file1_________________xls___________________500
file2_________________doc___________________80
file3_________________ppt___________________800
file4_________________xls___________________400
file1_________________ppt___________________1200
Problem:
Retrieving the matching price of the item shown in cell A2, for the specific brand
entered in cell B2.
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5. Following are the prices for each possible combination:
Item,Brand,Price
Jeans, Diesel, $85
Jeans, Levis, $80
Jeans, Lee, $70
T-Shirt, Sacks, $7
T-Shirt, Gap, $5
T-Shirt, Old Navy, $3
Solution:
Use the IF and LOOKUP functions as shown in the following formula:
=IF(A2="Jeans",LOOKUP(B2,{"Diesel","Lee","Levis";85,70,80}),IF(A2="T-
Shirt",LOOKUP(B2,{"Gap","Old Navy","Sacks"},{5,3,7})))
Problem:
Column B contains the mark matching each of the grades shown in column A.
We want to grade each mark in column D by finding the mark closest to it in
column B, and then retrieving the corresponding grade from column A.
Solution:
Use the INDEX, MIN, IF, ABS, and ROW functions as shown in the following Array
formula:
{=INDEX($A$2:$A$6,MIN(IF(ABS($B$2:$B$6-D2)=MIN(ABS($B$2:$B$6-
D2)),ROW($B$2:$B$6)-ROW($B$2)+1)),1)}
To apply Array formula:
Select the cell, press and simultaneously press .
Problem:
Listed in range1 (A4:B6) and range2 (D4:E6) are clothing items and their prices.
Cell B9 contains the name of an item from one of the ranges.
We would like to perform a lookup on both ranges, find the relevant item, and
return the matching price.
Solution:
Use the ISNA and VLOOKUP functions as shown in the following formula:
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6. =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(B9,A4:B6,2,FALSE)),VLOOKUP(B9,D4:E6,2,FALSE),VLOOKUP(B
9,A4:B6,2,FALSE))
Problem:
Columns A & B list all the pay dates of various clients.
We want to retrieve the date of the most recent payment made by each of the
clients listed in column D.
Solution:
Use the MAX and IF functions as shown in the following Array formula:
{=MAX(IF($A$2:$A$8=D2,$B$2:$B$8))}
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8. How to look up a value in a list and return multiple corresponding values
Applies to: Microsoft Office Excel 2003
Look up one value and return one corresponding value
Look up one value and return multiple corresponding values
Identify row numbers
Return corresponding values from column B
Remove possible error values
In this article, I provide a formula for looking up a value and returning multiple occurrences o
corresponding value in a list; for example, if in a two-column list, there appear multiple value
name "Ashish" in the first column, the formula returns all of the corresponding values in the
second column.
Look up one value and return one corresponding value
You use the VLOOKUP function to search for a value in the first column of a list and return a
same row from another column in the list. Note that the VLOOKUP function is designed to re
corresponding value of the first instance of a lookup value.
For example, if I type "Ashish" in cell A9, and I type the following VLOOKUP formula in B9:
=VLOOKUP(A9,A1:B7,2,FALSE)
The VLOOKUP function in cell B9 finds the first occurrence of the name "Ashish", and return
corresponding value in the same row of the second column, which is 234.
Look up one value and return multiple corresponding values
The formula to look up one value and return multiple corresponding values can be stated as
row numbers that contain the name "Ashish" in column A, return the corresponding values f
remove possible error values.
Identify row numbers
Enter "Ashish" in cell A10. Then, enter the following array formula (CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER) i
EXCELTips2.docthe row number of a corresponding value:
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