ExamplesFor You
Home / Excel / VLOOKUP
✍️ Excel lookup examples

VLOOKUP Examples in Excel

Learn practical VLOOKUP examples for looking up prices, names, categories and report values.

Updated 2026-06-125 practical examplesCopy-ready

What it does

VLOOKUP looks for a value in the first column of a table and returns a value from a column to the right.

Syntax or pattern

=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
✅

5 practical examples

1

Find a price by product code

Use a product code in A2 to return a price from a product table.

=VLOOKUP(A2, $E$2:$G$100, 3, FALSE)

FALSE forces an exact match, which is usually safest for IDs and codes.

2

Return a department by employee ID

Find the employee department from a staff lookup table.

=VLOOKUP(A2, StaffTable, 4, FALSE)

Use stable IDs instead of names when possible.

3

Use IFERROR with VLOOKUP

Show a friendly message if the lookup fails.

=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(A2, $E$2:$G$100, 3, FALSE), "Not found")

This keeps reports cleaner than #N/A errors.

4

Approximate match for tax rates

Find the correct rate from a sorted threshold table.

=VLOOKUP(B2, TaxTable, 2, TRUE)

Approximate match requires the first column to be sorted ascending.

5

VLOOKUP from another sheet

Return a category from a lookup table on a separate sheet.

=VLOOKUP(A2, Categories!$A:$C, 3, FALSE)

External sheet references are common in reporting workbooks.

Common mistakes to avoid

  • VLOOKUP cannot look left.
  • Column numbers can break if the table structure changes.
  • Approximate match can produce unexpected results if the lookup table is not sorted.

Related Excel examples

XLOOKUP Examples in ExcelINDEX MATCH Examples in ExcelIFERROR Examples in Excel📊 All Excel examples

FAQ

Why does VLOOKUP return #N/A?

The lookup value was not found, or the lookup table has spacing/type differences.

Should I use XLOOKUP instead?

For newer Excel versions, XLOOKUP is usually more flexible.

💡 Useful resources

Here are some ideas for you

Optional resources that may help if you are learning formulas, building reports, or working in spreadsheets often.

  • 📘
    Excel formula books

    Practice formulas with structured examples you can keep beside your desk.

    See ideas
  • ⌨️
    Excel shortcut guides

    Build speed with keyboard shortcuts for selection, formatting and navigation.

    See ideas
  • 🔢
    Numeric keypads

    Helpful if you enter many numbers on a laptop or compact keyboard.

    See ideas
  • 🖥️
    External monitors

    Useful for viewing large worksheets, formulas and reference tables side by side.

    See ideas
  • 📒
    Desk notebooks

    Sketch formula logic, report ideas and table structures before building.

    See ideas
  • 💻
    Laptop stands

    Make long spreadsheet sessions more comfortable and ergonomic.

    See ideas

Some links in this section may be affiliate links. Choose only what is useful for your own work.