WorksheetFunction.VLookup Method
Searches for a value in the first column of a table array and returns a value in the same row from another column in the table array.
Syntax
expression.VLookup(Arg1, Arg2, Arg3, Arg4)
expression A variable that represents a WorksheetFunction object.
Parameters
| Name | Required/Optional | Data Type | Description |
|---|---|---|---|
| Arg1 | Required | Variant | Lookup_value - the value to search in the first column of the table array . Lookup_value can be a value or a reference. If lookup_value is smaller than the smallest value in the first column of table_array, VLOOKUP returns the #N/A error value. |
| Arg2 | Required | Variant | Table_array - two or more columns of data. Use a reference to a range or a range name. The values in the first column of table_array are the values searched by lookup_value. These values can be text, numbers, or logical values. Uppercase and lowercase text are equivalent. |
| Arg3 | Required | Variant | Col_index_num - the column number in table_array from which the matching value must be returned. A col_index_num of 1 returns the value in the first column in table_array; a col_index_num of 2 returns the value in the second column in table_array, and so on. |
| Arg4 | Optional | Variant | Range_lookup - a logical value that specifies whether you want VLOOKUP to find an exact match or an approximate match: |
Return Value
Variant
Remarks
The V in VLOOKUP stands for vertical. Use VLOOKUP instead of HLOOKUP when your comparison values are located in a column to the left of the data that you want to find.
- If Col_index_num is less than 1, VLOOKUP returns the #VALUE! error value.
- If Col_index_num is greater than the number of columns in table_array, VLOOKUP returns the #REF! error value.
- If Range_lookup is TRUE or omitted, an exact or approximate match is returned. If an exact match is not found, the next largest value that is less than lookup_value is returned.
The values in the first column of table_array must be placed in ascending sort order; otherwise, VLOOKUP may not give the correct value. For more information, see Sort data.
- If FALSE, VLOOKUP will only find an exact match. In this case, the values in the first column of table_array do not need to be sorted. If there are two or more values in the first column of table_array that match the lookup_value, the first value found is used. If an exact match is not found, the error value #N/A is returned.
- When searching text values in the first column of table_array, ensure that the data in the first column of table_array does not have leading spaces, trailing spaces, inconsistent use of straight ( ' or " ) and curly ( ' or ") quotation marks, or nonprinting characters. In these cases, VLOOKUP may give an incorrect or unexpected value. For more information, see CLEAN and TRIM.
- When searching number or date values, ensure that the data in the first column of table_array is not stored as text values. In this case, VLOOKUP may give an incorrect or unexpected value. For more information, see Convert numbers stored as text to numbers.
- If range_lookup is FALSE and lookup_value is text, then you can use the wildcard characters, question mark (?) and asterisk (*), in lookup_value. A question mark matches any single character; an asterisk matches any sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) preceding the character.