How Excel XLOOKUP Works for Dummies

How Excel XLOOKUP Works for Dummies

If you are new to Excel or consider yourself a beginner, learning about the various functions it offers can be overwhelming. One such function is XLOOKUP, which is a powerful tool for searching and retrieving data in Excel. In this blog post, we will demystify XLOOKUP and show you how to use it effectively.

What is XLOOKUP?

XLOOKUP is a function introduced in Excel 2019, and it is designed to replace the older VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP functions. This new function provides more flexibility and superior search capabilities compared to its counterparts.

How does XLOOKUP work?

XLOOKUP operates by searching for a specific value in a range of cells and returning a corresponding value from another specified range. It allows you to search horizontally or vertically and perform both exact and approximate matches.

Using XLOOKUP for beginners

Let's dive into some examples to understand how XLOOKUP works in practice:

• Search for an exact match:

=XLOOKUP(A2, A1:A10, B1:B10)

• Perform an approximate match:

=XLOOKUP(A2, A1:A10, B1:B10, -1, 1)

• Return the corresponding value from multiple columns:

=XLOOKUP(A2, A1:A10, B1:C10)

Conclusion

XLOOKUP is a powerful function that can greatly simplify your data retrieval process in Excel. By understanding its functionality and practicing with different examples, you can leverage it to enhance your spreadsheet skills and efficiency.