The VLOOKUP function in Google Sheets is used to search for a value in the first column of a range and return a value in the same row from a specified column. It's commonly used to look up and retrieve information from a table based on a matching criteria. Here's how to use the VLOOKUP function:
The syntax of the VLOOKUP function is as follows :
VLOOKUP(search_key, range, index, [is_sorted])?
* search_key : The value to search for in the first column of the range.
* range : The range of cells that contains the data. The first column in the range is searched for the search key.
* index : The column number in the range from which to return the value. For example, if the value you want to return is in the third column of the range, index would be 3.
* is_sorted : Optional. A logical value that specifies whether the first column in the range is sorted in ascending order. If set to TRUE or omitted, VLOOKUP will assume the range is sorted and perform a faster search. If set to FALSE, VLOOKUP will perform an exact match search.
Here's an example of how to use the VLOOKUP function :Suppose you have a table with student names in column A and their corresponding grades in column B. You want to find the grade of a specific student, "John", and return it.
* Insert the VLOOKUP Function : In an empty cell, type =VLOOKUP( to start the function.
* Enter Search Key : Enter the value you want to search for, in this case, "John".
* Specify Range : Enter the range of cells that contains the data. For example, if your student names are in cells A2:A10 and grades are in cells B2:B10, your range would be A2:B10.
* Define Index : Specify the column number from which to return the value. Since grades are in the second column of the range, the index would be 2.
* Set Is_sorted (Optional) : Decide whether the range is sorted. In this case, let's assume it's sorted, so you can either leave it blank or set it to TRUE.
Putting it all together, your VLOOKUP function would look like this :
=VLOOKUP("John", A2:B10, 2, TRUE)?
Press Enter: After entering the function, press Enter on your keyboard. The function will search for "John" in column A, find the corresponding grade in column B, and return it.
