How to Use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets

Need to look up a value in one column and pull the matching info from another? That's exactly what VLOOKUP does. Here's how to use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets step by step, with examples for one sheet, another sheet, and the most common errors that trip people up.

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What does VLOOKUP do?

VLOOKUP stands for "vertical lookup." It searches the first column of a range for a value, then returns a value from a column you specify. The basic syntax for VLOOKUP in Google Sheets looks like this:

=VLOOKUP(search_key, range, index, [is_sorted])

So if you want to find a customer's email by their ID, you point VLOOKUP at your data range, tell it which column the email lives in, and it returns the email. That's what VLOOKUP does at its core.

How to use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets

Now the actual steps. To use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets, click in the cell where you want the result, then type:

=VLOOKUP(A2, D2:F100, 3, FALSE)

Translation: look up the value in A2, search range D2:F100, return the value from the 3rd column of that range, and only match exact values (FALSE). That's how to use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets in one cell. Drag the formula down to apply it to the rest of your column.

A few rules to remember about VLOOKUP Google Sheets:

• The lookup column must be the first column in your range
• The index is counted from the start of your range, not column A of your sheet
• Use FALSE for exact match, TRUE for approximate match

Google Sheets VLOOKUP from another sheet

What if your data lives in a different tab or file? Google Sheets VLOOKUP from another sheet works the same way, you just reference the other sheet in the range:

=VLOOKUP(A2, 'Customer List'!A:C, 3, FALSE)

The single quotes around the sheet name are needed if the name has spaces. For VLOOKUP Google Sheets across files, pair it with IMPORTRANGE first to pull the data in, then run VLOOKUP on the imported range. That covers Google Sheets VLOOKUP from another sheet and another workbook.

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Why is my VLOOKUP not working?

If your formula returns #N/A, #REF!, or #VALUE!, here's the quick checklist. Why is my VLOOKUP not working? Usually it's one of three reasons:

• The lookup value isn't in the first column of your range (move your data or adjust the range)
• The data types don't match (text vs number, "123" vs 123)
• Extra spaces or hidden characters in the lookup value (use TRIM or CLEAN to fix)

If it's still not working, swap in INDEX/MATCH for the same job. INDEX/MATCH doesn't care which column your lookup value sits in.

Important: VLOOKUP is case-insensitive in Google Sheets. If you need a case-sensitive match, combine MATCH with EXACT instead.

Key takeaways

To use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets, write =VLOOKUP(lookup, range, column index, FALSE) and drag down. Make sure the lookup column is the first column in your range. For Google Sheets VLOOKUP from another sheet, reference the tab name in your range. If it returns #N/A, double-check data types and trim extra spaces.

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