Google Sheets VLOOKUP Tutorial 2027 — Complete Guide with Examples

VLOOKUP Syntax

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

Example: Look up product price by SKU:
=VLOOKUP(A2, Products!A:C, 3, FALSE)

A2 = SKU to search
Products!A:C = search range (SKU in column A)
3 = return 3rd column (Price)
FALSE = exact match (always use FALSE for business data)

Common VLOOKUP Business Examples

1. Auto-fill product price from SKU in orders

=VLOOKUP(B2, PriceList!A:B, 2, FALSE)

2. Look up customer discount tier

=VLOOKUP(CustomerID, Customers!A:D, 4, FALSE)

3. Map employee to department

=VLOOKUP(EmployeeID, HR!A:E, 3, FALSE)

VLOOKUP vs INDEX-MATCH vs XLOOKUP

XLOOKUP Syntax (Recommended)

=XLOOKUP(search_value, lookup_array, return_array, [not_found])

Example: =XLOOKUP(A2, Products!A:A, Products!C:C, "Not Found")

Advantages over VLOOKUP:
- Can look left or right
- Built-in error handling with [not_found]
- Returns multiple columns at once
- Faster on large datasets

Common VLOOKUP Errors and Fixes

• #N/A: Value not found — check for trailing spaces (use TRIM), case mismatch, or data type mismatch (number vs text)
• #REF!: Column index exceeds range width — expand your range
• Wrong value returned: Using TRUE instead of FALSE for approximate match

FAQ