Execute a Hlookup inside an IF statement. He wants his hlookup to return for the selected hlookup for fruit, but if he selects meat, he wants his hlookup to.

Suppose that you have a list of office location numbers, and you need to know which employees are in each office. The spreadsheet is huge, so you might think it is challenging task. It's actually quite easy to do with a lookup function.

The VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions, together with INDEX and MATCH, are some of the most useful functions in Excel.

Note: The Lookup Wizard feature is no longer available in Excel.

Here's an example of how to use VLOOKUP.

=VLOOKUP(B2,C2:E7,3,TRUE)

In this example, B2 is the first argument—an element of data that the function needs to work. For VLOOKUP, this first argument is the value that you want to find. This argument can be a cell reference, or a fixed value such as 'smith' or 21,000. The second argument is the range of cells, C2-:E7, in which to search for the value you want to find. The third argument is the column in that range of cells that contains the value that you seek.

The fourth argument is optional. Enter either TRUE or FALSE. If you enter TRUE, or leave the argument blank, the function returns an approximate match of the value you specify in the first argument. If you enter FALSE, the function will match the value provide by the first argument. In other words, leaving the fourth argument blank—or entering TRUE—gives you more flexibility.

This example shows you how the function works. When you enter a value in cell B2 (the first argument), VLOOKUP searches the cells in the range C2:E7 (2nd argument) and returns the closest approximate match from the third column in the range, column E (3rd argument).

The fourth argument is empty, so the function returns an approximate match. If it didn't, you'd have to enter one of the values in columns C or D to get a result at all.

When you're comfortable with VLOOKUP, the HLOOKUP function is equally easy to use. You enter the same arguments, but it searches in rows instead of columns.

Using INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP

There are certain limitations with using VLOOKUP—the VLOOKUP function can only look up a value from left to right. This means that the column containing the value you look up should always be located to the left of the column containing the return value. Now if your spreadsheet isn't built this way, then do not use VLOOKUP. Use the combination of INDEX and MATCH functions instead.

This example shows a small list where the value we want to search on, Chicago, isn't in the leftmost column. So, we can't use VLOOKUP. Instead, we'll use the MATCH function to find Chicago in the range B1:B11. It's found in row 4. Then, INDEX uses that value as the lookup argument, and finds the population for Chicago in the 4th column (column D). The formula used is shown in cell A14.

For more examples of using INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP, see the article https://www.mrexcel.com/excel-tips/excel-vlookup-index-match/ by Bill Jelen, Microsoft MVP.

Give it a try

If you want to experiment with lookup functions before you try them out with your own data, here's some sample data.

VLOOKUP Example at work

Copy the following data into a blank spreadsheet.

Tip: Before you paste the data into Excel, set the column widths for columns A through C to 250 pixels, and click Wrap Text (Home tab, Alignment group).
Density
Viscosity
Temperature
0.457
3.55
500
0.525
3.25
400
0.606
2.93
300
0.675
2.75
250
0.746
2.57
200
0.835
2.38
150
0.946
2.17
100
1.09
1.95
50
1.29
1.71
0
Formula
Description
Result
=VLOOKUP(1,A2:C10,2)
Using an approximate match, searches for the value 1 in column A, finds the largest value less than or equal to 1 in column A which is 0.946, and then returns the value from column B in the same row.
2.17
=VLOOKUP(1,A2:C10,3,TRUE)
Using an approximate match, searches for the value 1 in column A, finds the largest value less than or equal to 1 in column A, which is 0.946, and then returns the value from column C in the same row.
100
=VLOOKUP(0.7,A2:C10,3,FALSE)
Using an exact match, searches for the value 0.7 in column A. Because there is no exact match in column A, an error is returned.
#N/A
=VLOOKUP(0.1,A2:C10,2,TRUE)
Using an approximate match, searches for the value 0.1 in column A. Because 0.1 is less than the smallest value in column A, an error is returned.
#N/A
=VLOOKUP(2,A2:C10,2,TRUE)
Using an approximate match, searches for the value 2 in column A, finds the largest value less than or equal to 2 in column A, which is 1.29, and then returns the value from column B in the same row.
1.71

HLOOKUP Example

Copy all the cells in this table and paste it into cell A1 on a blank worksheet in Excel.

Tip: Before you paste the data into Excel, set the column widths for columns A through C to 250 pixels, and click Wrap Text (Home tab, Alignment group).
Axles
Bearings
Bolts
4
4
9
5
7
10
6
8
11
Formula
Description
Result
=HLOOKUP('Axles', A1:C4, 2, TRUE)
Looks up 'Axles' in row 1, and returns the value from row 2 that's in the same column (column A).
4
=HLOOKUP('Bearings', A1:C4, 3, FALSE)
Looks up 'Bearings' in row 1, and returns the value from row 3 that's in the same column (column B).
7
=HLOOKUP('B', A1:C4, 3, TRUE)
Looks up 'B' in row 1, and returns the value from row 3 that's in the same column. Because an exact match for 'B' is not found, the largest value in row 1 that is less than 'B' is used: 'Axles,' in column A.
5
=HLOOKUP('Bolts', A1:C4, 4)
Looks up 'Bolts' in row 1, and returns the value from row 4 that's in the same column (column C).
11
=HLOOKUP(3, {1,2,3;'a','b','c';'d','e','f'}, 2, TRUE)
Looks up the number 3 in the three-row array constant, and returns the value from row 2 in the same (in this case, third) column. There are three rows of values in the array constant, each row separated by a semicolon (;). Because 'c' is found in row 2 and in the same column as 3, 'c' is returned.
c

INDEX and MATCH Examples

This last example employs the INDEX and MATCH functions together to return the earliest invoice number and its corresponding date for each of five cities. Because the date is returned as a number, we use the TEXT function to format it as a date. The INDEX function actually uses the result of the MATCH function as its argument. The combination of the INDEX and MATCH functions are used twice in each formula – first, to return the invoice number, and then to return the date.

Copy all the cells in this table and paste it into cell A1 on a blank worksheet in Excel.

How to use vlookup and hlookup together in c
Tip: Before you paste the data into Excel, set the column widths for columns A through D to 250 pixels, and click Wrap Text (Home tab, Alignment group).
Invoice
City
Invoice Date
Earliest invoice by city, with date
3115
Atlanta
4/7/12
='Atlanta = '&INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Atlanta',$B$2:$B$33,0),1)& ', Invoice date: ' & TEXT(INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Atlanta',$B$2:$B$33,0),3),'m/d/yy')
3137
Atlanta
4/9/12
='Austin = '&INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Austin',$B$2:$B$33,0),1)& ', Invoice date: ' & TEXT(INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Austin',$B$2:$B$33,0),3),'m/d/yy')
3154
Atlanta
4/11/12
='Dallas = '&INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Dallas',$B$2:$B$33,0),1)& ', Invoice date: ' & TEXT(INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Dallas',$B$2:$B$33,0),3),'m/d/yy')
3191
Atlanta
4/21/12
='New Orleans = '&INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('New Orleans',$B$2:$B$33,0),1)& ', Invoice date: ' & TEXT(INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('New Orleans',$B$2:$B$33,0),3),'m/d/yy')
3293
Atlanta
4/25/12
='Tampa = '&INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Tampa',$B$2:$B$33,0),1)& ', Invoice date: ' & TEXT(INDEX($A$2:$C$33,MATCH('Tampa',$B$2:$B$33,0),3),'m/d/yy')
3331
Atlanta
4/27/12
3350
Atlanta
4/28/12
3390
Atlanta
5/1/12
3441
Atlanta
5/2/12
3517
Atlanta
5/8/12
3124
Austin
4/9/12
3155
Austin
4/11/12
3177
Austin
4/19/12
3357
Austin
4/28/12
3492
Austin
5/6/12
3316
Dallas
4/25/12
3346
Dallas
4/28/12
3372
Dallas
5/1/12
3414
Dallas
5/1/12
3451
Dallas
5/2/12
3467
Dallas
5/2/12
3474
Dallas
5/4/12
3490
Dallas
5/5/12
3503
Dallas
5/8/12
3151
New Orleans
4/9/12
3438
New Orleans
5/2/12
3471
New Orleans
5/4/12
3160
Tampa
4/18/12
3328
Tampa
4/26/12
3368
Tampa
4/29/12
3420
Tampa
5/1/12
3501
Tampa
5/6/12

See Also

This document explains the functions of VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP and how to use them in a spreadsheet. It can be used in all versions of Microsoft Excel.
VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP are functions in Excel that allow you to search a table of data and based on what the user has supplied and give appropriate information from that table.
If you have a table of Student ID numbers, Student Names and Grades, you can set up Excel so that if a Student ID number is supplied by the user, it will look through the table and output the student's name and grade.
Can
VLOOKUP allows you to search a table that is set up vertically. That is, all of the data is set up in columns and each column is responsible for one kind of data. In the Student Record example, there would be a separate column of data for Student Names, one for Student ID numbers, etc.
HLOOKUP is the exact same function, but looks up data that has been formatted by rows instead of columns.
The format of the VLOOKUP function is: VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,col_index_num,range_lookup).
The lookup_value is the user input. This is the value that the function uses to search on. If you are searching a table by the Student ID number, then the lookup_value is the cell that contains the inputted Student ID number being looked up.
The table_array is the area of cells in which the table is located. This includes not only the column being searched on, but the data columns for which you are going to get the values that you need. Back to the example, the table_array would not only include the Student ID number column, but the columns for the Student Names and Grades as well.
The col_index_num is the column of data that contains the answer that you want. If your table is set up as: column 1 - Student ID Number, column 2 - Student Names, column 3 - Grades and you inputted a Student ID Number and you want to retrieve the grade that was received for that person, the col_index_num would be 3. 3 is the column number of the data column for the ANSWER that you are trying to look up.
Range_lookup is a TRUE or FALSE value. When set to TRUE, the lookup function gives the closest match to the lookup_value without going over the lookup_value. When set to FALSE, an exact match must be found to the lookup_value or the function will return #N/A. Note, this requires that the column containing the lookup_value be formatted in ascending order.

To use the Function Wizard to insert a VLOOKUP function:

  1. Select the cell that will contain the answer to the VLOOKUP and access the Insert Function dialog, which depends upon the version of Excel that you are using:
  2. Under the Function Category, choose either All or Lookup & Reference.
  3. Under the Function Name, select VLOOKUP, and hit OK.
  4. The Function Wizard for VLOOKUP will then display. The 4 values talked about above (lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, range_lookup) are required by the function. Each line for each value required. If you put the cursor into the first line for lookup_value, down below it explains what the lookup_value is for your reference. Similar information is displayed when the cursor is in any of the other fields.
  5. Enter in the lookup_value either by typing in the number for the cell, or, by selecting the cell on the worksheet.
  6. Enter in the table_array by typing in the numbers for the cells, or, by selecting the group of cells on the worksheet.
  7. Enter in the number for column which contains the data that you wish to obtain in the col_index_num area.
  8. Enter into the range_lookup field the value TRUE if the function should accept the closest value to your lookup_value without going over or FALSE if an exact match is required.
  9. Hit OK when ready.