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What is a LOOKUP formula in a spreadsheet?

Lookup formulas and functions are used to search for specific values in a range and retrieve related information. They enable you to perform searches, find matches, and retrieve data based on specified criteria or conditions.

LOOKUP formula usage examples.

The ADDRESS function in Excel returns a cell reference as a string. It takes the row and column numbers as arguments and can also include optional parameters for specifying the absolute or relative mode, using A1 or R1C1 notation, and specifying the sheet name. This function is commonly used in formulas that require dynamic cell references or when creating hyperlinks.

The CHOOSE function returns an element from a list of choices based on the specified index. It takes the index as the first argument, followed by the choices separated by commas. The index should be a positive integer, and the choices can be any value or expression. The function returns the choice corresponding to the index. If the index is less than 1 or greater than the number of choices, the function returns an error.

The COLUMN function returns the column number of a specified cell in Excel. It treats the leftmost column of a range as column 1, and each subsequent column as the next consecutive number. This function is useful for various calculations and referencing specific columns in formulas.

The COLUMNS function returns the number of columns in a specified array or range. It is useful for determining the width of a range or for performing calculations based on the number of columns in a range.

FORMULATEXT

The FORMULATEXT function in Excel is used to return the formula of a specified cell as a text string. It is particularly useful when you want to extract and analyze formulas used in a worksheet. FORMULATEXT takes a single argument, which is the cell reference or range containing the formula you want to retrieve. The function returns the formula as a text string, including any cell references or named ranges used in the formula.

GETPIVOTDATA

GETPIVOTDATA is an Excel function that extracts an aggregated value from a pivot table that corresponds to the specified row and column headings. It allows you to retrieve specific data from a pivot table by specifying the value name, any pivot table cell, and the original column and pivot item combinations.

The HLOOKUP function is used to perform a horizontal lookup in Excel. It searches across the first row of a range for a key and returns the value of a specified cell in the column found. The function takes four arguments: search_key (the value to search for), range (the range of cells to search in), index (the row number within the range to return the value from), and is_sorted (an optional argument to specify whether the first row of the range is sorted in ascending order). If is_sorted is set to TRUE or omitted, the function assumes the first row is sorted and performs an approximate match. If is_sorted is set to FALSE, the function performs an exact match.

INDIRECT

The INDIRECT function returns a cell reference specified by a string. It allows you to create dynamic formulas by referencing cells or ranges based on a string input. The first argument, cell_reference_as_string, is the string that specifies the cell or range you want to reference. The second argument, is_A1_notation (optional), determines whether the cell_reference_as_string is in A1 notation (TRUE) or R1C1 notation (FALSE). By using the INDIRECT function, you can create formulas that dynamically update based on the value of a cell or other conditions.

LOOKUP is a function in Excel that allows you to search for a specific value in a row or column and retrieve the corresponding value from another row or column. It is commonly used for data lookup and retrieval purposes. The function takes three arguments: the search key, the search range or search result array, and an optional result range. The search key is the value you want to find, the search range or search result array is the range of cells where the search key is located, and the result range is the range of cells where the corresponding value should be retrieved from. If the search key is found in the search range, the function returns the corresponding value from the result range. If the search key is not found, the function returns the closest match based on the order of the search range.

The MATCH function is used to return the relative position of an item in a range that matches a specified value. It searches for the value in the range and returns the position of the first occurrence. The function has an optional search_type argument that allows for different matching criteria.

The OFFSET function returns a range reference shifted a specified number of rows and columns from a starting cell reference. It allows you to dynamically select a range of cells based on the offset values provided. The function takes the starting cell reference as the first argument, followed by the number of rows and columns to offset. Optional arguments for height and width can be used to specify the size of the resulting range. The OFFSET function is commonly used for creating dynamic ranges, conditional summing, and dynamic chart ranges.

The ROW function returns the row number of a specified cell. It is commonly used to perform calculations or retrieve specific data based on the row number.

The ROWS function returns the number of rows in a specified array or range. It is useful when you need to determine the size of a table or range dynamically.

The VLOOKUP function is used to perform a vertical lookup in Excel. It searches down the first column of a specified range for a key and returns the value of a specified cell in the row found. The function takes four arguments: search_key (the value to search for), range (the table or range to search in), index (the column number in the range from which to return a value), and is_sorted (an optional argument to specify whether the range is sorted in ascending order).

XLOOKUP is a powerful function in Excel that allows you to search for a value in a lookup range and return a corresponding value from a result range. It can handle missing values and offers advanced match and search modes for more flexible searching.

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