INDEX & MATCH in Excel - better alternative to VLOOKUP

This tutorial shows how to use INDEX and MATCH in Excel and how it is better than VLOOKUP.

In a couple of recent articles, we made a good effort to explain the basics of VLOOKUP function to beginners and provide more complex VLOOKUP formula examples to power users. And now, I will try if not to talk you out of using VLOOKUP, then at least show you an alternative way to do a vertical lookup in Excel.

"What do I need that for?" you may wonder. Because VLOOKUP has numerous limitations that can prevent you from getting the desired result in many situations. On the other hand, the INDEX MATCH combination is more flexible and has many awesome features that make it superior to VLOOKUP in many respects.
Excel VLOOKUP or INDEX / MATCH - which is better?

Excel INDEX and MATCH functions - the basics

Since the aim of this tutorial is to demonstrate an alternative way to do a vlookup in Excel by using a combination of INDEX and MATCH functions, we won't dwell much on their syntax and uses. We will cover only the minimum necessary for understanding the general idea and then take an in-depth look at formula examples that reveal all the advantages of using INDEX MATCH instead of VLOOKUP.

INDEX function - syntax and usage

The Excel INDEX function returns a value in an array based on the row and column numbers you specify. The syntax of the INDEX function is straightforward:

INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])

Here is a very simple explanation of each parameter:

  • array - a range of cells that you want to return a value from.
  • row_num - the row number in array from which you want to return a value. If omitted, the column_num is required.
  • column_num - the column number in array from which you want to return a value. If omitted, row_num is required.

For more information, please see Excel INDEX function.

And here is an example of the INDEX formula in its simplest form:

=INDEX(A1:C10,2,3)

The formula searches in cells A1 through C10 and returns a value of the cell in the 2nd row and the 3rd column, i.e. cell C2.

Very easy, right? However, when working with real data you would hardly ever know which row and column you want, that's where the MATCH function comes in handy.

MATCH function - syntax and usage

The Excel MATCH function searches for a lookup value in a range of cells and returns the relative position of that value in the range.

The syntax of the MATCH function is as follows:

MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])
  • lookup_value - the number or text value you are looking for.
  • lookup_array - a range of cells being searched.
  • match_type - specifies whether to return an exact match or the nearest match:
    • 1 or omitted (default) - approximate match (next smaller).
    • 0 - exact match. In the INDEX / MATCH combination, you almost always need an exact match, so you set the third argument of your MATCH function to 0.
    • -1 - approximate match (next larger).

For example, if the range B1:B3 contains the values "New-York", "Paris", "London", the below formula returns the number 3, because "London" is the third entry in the range:

=MATCH("London",B1:B3,0)

For more information, please see Excel MATCH function.

At first sight, the usefulness of the MATCH function may seem questionable. Who cares about the position of a value in a range? What we do want to know is the value itself.

Let me remind you that the relative position of the lookup value (i.e. row and column numbers) is exactly what you need to supply to the row_num and column_num arguments of the INDEX function. As you remember, Excel INDEX can find the value at the juncture of a given row and column, but it cannot determine which exactly row and column you want.

How to use INDEX MATCH function in Excel

Now that you know the basics, I believe it has already started making sense how MATCH and INDEX work together. In a nutshell, INDEX finds the lookup value by column and row numbers, and MATCH provides those numbers. That's it!

For vertical lookup, you use the MATCH function only to determine the row number and supply the column range directly to INDEX:

INDEX(column to return a value from, MATCH(lookup value, column to look up against, 0))

Still having difficulties to figure that out? It might be easier to understand from an example. Suppose you have a list of national capitals and their population:
Source data for INDEX MATCH formula

To find the population of a certain capital, say the capital of Japan, use the following INDEX MATCH formula:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH("Japan", A2:A10, 0))

Now, let's analyze what each component of this formula actually does:

  • The MATCH function searches for the lookup value "Japan" in the range A2:A10, and returns the number 3, because "Japan" is third in the lookup array.
  • The row number goes directly to the row_num argument of INDEX instructing it to return a value from that row.

So, the above formula turns into a simple INDEX(C2:C,3) that says to search in cells C2 through C10 and pull the value from the 3rd cell in that range, i.e. C4 because we start counting from the second row.

Don't want to hardcode the city in the formula? Input it in some cell, say F1, supply the cell reference to MATCH, and you will get a dynamic lookup formula:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(F1,A2:A10,0))
Excel INDEX MATCH formula

Important note! The number of rows in the array argument of INDEX should match the number of rows in the lookup_array argument of MATCH, otherwise the formula will produce an incorrect result.

Wait, wait… why don't we simply use the following Vlookup formula? What's the point in wasting time trying to figure out the arcane twists of Excel MATCH INDEX?

=VLOOKUP(F1, A2:C10, 3, FALSE)

In this case, no point at all :) This simple example is for demonstration purposes only, so that you get a feel of how the INDEX and MATCH functions work together. Other examples that follow below will show you the real power of this combination that easily copes with many complex scenarios when VLOOKUP stumbles.

Tips:

INDEX MATCH vs. VLOOKUP

When deciding which function to use for vertical lookups, most Excel gurus agree that INDEX MATCH is far better than VLOOKUP. However, many people still stay with VLOOKUP, firstly, because it's simpler and, secondly, because they do not fully understand all benefits of using the INDEX MATCH formula in Excel. Without such understanding no one is willing to invest their time to learn a more complex syntax.

Below, I will point out the key advantages of MATCH INDEX over VLOOKUP, and you decide whether it's a worthy addition to your Excel arsenal.

4 main reasons to use INDEX MATCH instead of VLOOKUP

  1. Right to left lookup. As any educated user knows, VLOOKUP cannot look to its left, meaning your lookup value should always reside in the leftmost column of the table. INDEX MATCH can do left lookup with ease! The following example shows it in action: How to Vlookup a value to the left in Excel.
  2. Insert or delete columns safely. VLOOKUP formulas get broken or delivers incorrect results when a new column is deleted from or added to a lookup table because VLOOKUP's syntax requires specifying the index number of the column you want to pull the data from. Naturally, when you add or delete columns, the index number changes.

    With INDEX MATCH, you specify the return column range, not an index number. As the result, you are free to insert and remove as many columns as you want without worrying about updating every associated formula.

  3. No limit for a lookup value's size. When using the VLOOKUP function, the total length of your lookup criteria cannot exceed 255 characters, otherwise you will end up having the #VALUE! error. So, if your dataset contains long strings, INDEX MATCH is the only working solution.
  4. Higher processing speed. If your tables are relatively small, there will hardly be any significant difference in Excel performance. But if your worksheets contain hundreds or thousands of rows, and consequently hundreds or thousands of formulas, MATCH INDEX will work much faster than VLOOKUP because Excel will have to process only the lookup and return columns rather than the entire table array.

    VLOOKUP's impact on Excel's performance may be especially noticeable if your workbook contains complex array formulas like VLOOKUP and SUM. The point is that checking each value in the array requires a separate call of the VLOOKUP function. So, the more values your array contains and the more array formulas you have in a workbook, the slower Excel performs.

To discover the nuanced differences between INDEX MATCH and XLOOKUP, explore the in-depth analysis in this guide: Excel XLOOKUP vs INDEX MATCH.

Excel INDEX MATCH - formula examples

Knowing the reasons to learn the MATCH INDEX function, let's get to the most interesting part and see how you can apply the theoretical knowledge in practice.

INDEX MATCH formula to look up from right to left

As already mentioned, VLOOKUP cannot look at its left. So, unless your lookup values are is the leftmost column, there's no chance that a Vlookup formula will bring you the result you want. The INDEX MATCH function in Excel is more versatile and does not really care where the lookup and return columns are located.

For this example, we will add the Rank column to the left of our sample table and try to figure out how the Russian capital, Moscow, ranks in terms of population.

With the lookup value in G1, use the following formula to search in C2:C10 and return a corresponding value from A2:A10:

=INDEX(A2:A10,MATCH(G1,C2:C10,0))
Look up values to left using INDEX MATCH

Tip. If you plan to use your INDEX MATCH formula for more than one cell, be sure to lock both ranges with absolute cell references (like $A$2:$A$10 and $C$2:4C$10) so they won't get distorted when copying the formula.

INDEX MATCH MATCH to search in rows and columns

In the above examples, we used INDEX MATCH as the replacement for classic VLOOKUP to return a value from a predefined one-column range. But what if you need to look up in multiple rows and columns? In other words, what if you want to perform the so-called matrix or two-way lookup?

This may sound tricky, but the formula is very similar to the basic Excel INDEX MATCH function, with just one difference. Guess what?

Simply, use two MATCH functions – one to get a row number and the other to get a column number. And I congratulate those of you who have guessed right :)

INDEX(array, MATCH(vlookup value, column to look up against, 0), MATCH(hlookup value, row to look up against, 0))

And now, please take a look at the below table and let's build an INDEX MATCH MATCH formula to find the population (in millions) in a given country for a given year.

With the target country in G1 (vlookup value) and the target year in G2 (hlookup value), the formula takes this shape:

=INDEX(B2:D11, MATCH(G1,A2:A11,0), MATCH(G2,B1:D1,0))
INDEX MATCH MATCH formula for two-way lookup in Excel

How this formula works

Whenever you need to understand a complex Excel formula, break it down into smaller parts and see what each individual function does:

MATCH(G1,A2:A11,0) – searches through A2:A11 for the value in cell G1 ("China") and returns its position, which is 2.

MATCH(G2,B1:D1,0)) – searches through B1:D1 to get the position of the value in cell G2 ("2015"), which is 3.

The above row and column numbers go to the corresponding arguments of the INDEX function:

INDEX(B2:D11, 2, 3)

As the result, you get a value at the intersection of the 2nd row and 3rd column in the range B2:D11, which is the value in cell D3. Easy? Yep!

Excel INDEX MATCH to look up multiple criteria

If you had a chance to read our Excel VLOOKUP tutorial, you have probably already tested a formula to Vlookup with multiple criteria. However, a significant limitation of that approach is the necessity to add a helper column. The good news is that Excel's INDEX MATCH function can look up with two or more criteria too, without modifying or restructuring your source data!

Here's the generic INDEX MATCH formula with multiple criteria:

{=INDEX(return_range, MATCH(1, (criteria1=range1) * (criteria2=range2), 0))}

Note. This is an array formula that must be completed with the Ctrl + Shift + Enter shortcut.

In the sample table below, supposing you want to find the amount based on 2 criteria, Customer and Product.

The following INDEX MATCH formula works a treat:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(1, (F1=A2:A10) * (F2=B2:B10), 0))

Where C2:C10 is the range to return a value from, F1 is criteria1, A2:A10 is the range to compare against criteria1, F2 is criteria 2, and B2:B10 is the range to compare against criteria2.

Remember to enter the formula correctly by pressing Ctrl + Shift + Enter, and Excel will automatically enclose it curly brackets as shown in the screenshot:
The INDEX MATCH formula to look up multiple criteria

If you'd rather not use array formulas in your worksheets, add one more INDEX function to the formula and complete it with a usual Enter hit:
A non-array INDEX MATCH formula with multiple criteria

How these formulas work

The formulas use the same approach as the basic INDEX MATCH function that looks through a single column. To evaluate multiple criteria, you create two or more arrays of TRUE and FALSE values that represent matches and non-matches for each individual criterion, and then multiply the corresponding elements of these arrays. The multiplication operation converts TRUE and FALSE into 1 and 0, respectively, and produces an array where 1's correspond to rows that match all the criteria. The MATCH function with a lookup value of 1 finds the first "1" in the array and passes its position to INDEX, which returns a value in this row from the specified column.

The non-array formula relies on the ability of the INDEX function to handle arrays natively. The second INDEX is configured with 0 row_num so that it will pass the entire column array to MATCH.

That is a high-level explanation of the formula's logic. For full details, please see Excel INDEX MATCH with multiple criteria.

Excel INDEX MATCH with AVERAGE, MAX, MIN

Microsoft Excel has special functions to find a minimum, maximum and average value in a range. But what if you need to get a value from another cell that is associated with those values? In this case, use the MAX, MIN or AVERAGE function together with INDEX MATCH.

INDEX MATCH with MAX

To find the largest value in column D and return a value from column C in the same row, use this formula:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(MAX(D2:D10), D2:D10, 0))

INDEX MATCH with MIN

To locate the smallest value in column D and pull an associated value from column C, use this one:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(MIN(D2:D10), D2:D10, 0))

INDEX MATCH with AVERAGE

To work out the value closest to the average in D2:D10 and get a corresponding value from column C, this is the formula to use:

=INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(AVERAGE(D2:D10), D2:D10, -1 ))

Depending on how your data is organized, supply either 1 or -1 to the third argument (match_type) of the MATCH function:

  • If your lookup column (column D in our case) is sorted ascending, put 1. The formula will calculate the largest value that is less than or equal to the average value.
  • If your lookup column is sorted descending, enter -1. The formula will compute the smallest value that is greater than or equal to the average value.
  • If your lookup array contains a value exactly equal to the average, you can enter 0 for exact match. No sorting is required.

In our example, the populations in column D are sorted in descending order, so we use -1 for match type. As the result, we get "Tokyo" since its population (13,189,000) is the closest match that is greater than average (12,269,006).
Using INDEX MATCH with AVERAGE, MAX, MIN

You may be curious to know that VLOOKUP can perform such calculations too, but as an array formula: VLOOKUP with AVERAGE, MAX, MIN.

Using INDEX MATCH with IFNA / IFERROR

As you have probably noticed, if an INDEX MATCH formula in Excel cannot find a lookup value, it produces an #N/A error. If you wish to replace the standard error notation with something more meaningful, wrap your INDEX MATCH formula in the IFNA function. For example:

=IFNA(INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(F1,A2:A10,0)), "No match is found")

And now, if someone inputs a lookup table that does not exist in the lookup range, the formula will explicitly inform the user that no match is found:
Using INDEX / MATCH with IFNA function to trap N/A errors

If you'd like to catch all errors, not only #N/A, use the IFERROR function instead of IFNA:

=IFERROR(INDEX(C2:C10, MATCH(F1,A2:A10,0)), "Oops, something went wrong!")

Please keep in mind that in many situations it might be unwise to disguise all errors because they alert you about possible faults in your formula.

That's how to use INDEX and MATCH in Excel. I hope our formula examples will prove helpful for you and look forward to seeing you on our blog next week!

Practice workbook for download

Excel INDEX MATCH examples (.xlsx file)

Table of contents

614 comments

  1. i,am using index and match,match but something wrong.
    here what i have
    sheet1
    column c products
    column B to ACJ cost price
    row 3 exchange rate
    row 4 date
    =INDEX('cost price'!$C$7:$ACJ$99,MATCH($C16,'cost price'!$C$7:$C$999,0),MATCH($O$4,'cost price'!$C$4:$ACJ$4,1)*MATCH(W4,'cost price'!$C$3:$ACJ$3,1))
    where is my error
    regards

    • Hi.
      It is very difficult to understand a formula that contains unique references to your worksheets in the workbook. You didn't explain what you want to do. I don't understand why you multiply MATCH * MATCH

      • From what I can tell, the index can't be a true arracy, it has to be one column. If I try to add any more than one column in the array for any purpose then it is very unhappy with it.

        Perhaps there's a syntax issue I'm having, but looking at your formula, the index array is multi-column which gave me issues whenever I tried to do it.

  2. Good day,
    Please assist me to solve the following problem: I use the following Index_Match formular to look for all the 1st numbers that are above any zero in the data below. Meaning (the sum of 15+3=17). The formula I use is =SUMIF(INDEX(BN16:BN24,MATCH($BN$10,BN16:BN24,0)-1,0)) but it returns error.
    Thank you.
    2
    15
    0
    1
    3
    0
    9
    9

  3. I'm creating an employee review form. They are rated
    1 Falls below standards
    2 Below expectations
    3 Meets expectations
    4 Exceeds Expectations
    5 Role Model.

    Ratings are given a point value:
    1 = 0 points
    2 = .5 points
    3 = 1.5 points
    4 = 2 points
    5 = 2.5 points

    I want to return combined point value from 4 - 5 job skills.

  4. hello
    is it possible to apply multiple match criteria to get a single value

    for example
    name age salary Employee ID
    a 10 100 ABCD
    b 20 200 EFGH
    d 30 300 IJKL
    c 40 400 MNOP

    i want to get employee ID based on NAME,AGE,SALARY
    is it possible to apply 3 different conditions to get output in index-match

    • Hi!
      Pay attention to the following paragraph of the article above - Excel INDEX MATCH to look up multiple criteria.
      It covers your case completely.

      • got it sir
        and thanks for reply

  5. Yes, INDEX and MATCH is superior to VLOOKUP in many ways. It allows you to work how you want.
    VLOOKUP is dangerous as if you don't know what you are doing you can get incorrect values back and not even realise.
    But the new XLOOKUP is even better.
    XLOOKUP combines the best features of INDEX and MATCH and also IFERROR all into one function.

  6. What is the Index match across a single row to get the corresponding cell val in proper sequence eg i want Match 'Tom' with name values in E,F,G,H and get the corresponding column value from A,B,C,D

    A B C D E F G H Match Output
    1 2 3 4 Mary James Tom John Tom 3

    Apologies if this is too basic

  7. how to only unique values from a table

    for exmple
    city-1 city-2 city-3 city-4
    jaipur kolkata pune kota
    delhi mumbai delhi jaipur
    pune kota kolkata jaipur
    kolkata delhi jaipur mumbai
    delhi kolkata pune delhi
    jaipur kota mumbai jaipur
    delhi jaipur kolkata mumbai

    output--

    unique cities
    jaipur
    delhi
    pune
    kolkata
    kota
    mumbai

      • thanks for your quick reply
        your formula is working well.

        please take a look on this problem

        Person city-1 city-2 city-3 city-4
        A jaipur kolkata pune kota
        B delhi mumbai delhi jaipur
        C pune kota kolkata jaipur
        D kolkata delhi jaipur mumbai
        E delhi kolkata pune delhi
        F jaipur kota mumbai jaipur
        G delhi jaipur kolkata mumbai

        output

        Unique Cities Persons Visited
        jaipur A,B,C,D,F,G
        kolkata A,C,D,E,G
        pune A,C,E
        kota A,C,F
        delhi B,D,E,G
        mumbai B,E,F,G

        i want to know the list of persons who goes to this particular city.

        • also it possible through no array formula, bcz array formula slow down the sheet when they are in large numbers

          • sir filter function is only available in Excel 365
            can you suggest any other formula which works in lower versions also

            thanks

  8. i have a problem problem is given below please solve it

    296 RGS/296-22-23 06/02/2022 9748854 17-04-22 651597.00
    297 RGS/297/22-23 06/02/2022 9748854 17-04-22 20516.00
    298
    323
    324
    vlookup show in up column but did not show 298 and 323 another 324 here is the formulla please solve it
    =iferror(vlookup(A49,IMPORTRANGE("1SJAXYIj-mmgM0xpPHUU7NwURZcHRrT_onL60Uqigsrw","SALEREGISTER!b4:m300"),4,0),"")

  9. Dear Alexander,

    1. I have two columns in Sheet1 having data wherever there is data in Column A there is no data in Column B and vicversa.

    I want to lookup both these value (both the columns) and get the result in one column i tried by following vlookup but not getting the result =vlookup(a2&22,'sheet2'!C$2$:D$56$,2,0)

    Kindly try and Help.

    2. Since i was not geeting the result with above i used vlookup in two different columns seperately for Column A and Column B as below

    =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(A2,'Sheet2'!$c$2:$D$100,2,0),"")
    =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(B2,'Sheet2'!$c$2:$D$100,2,0),"")

    Than concatenated both the columns =CONCATENATE(a2,b2) and got the result

    but my issue is wherever there is blank cell i need to input the text as OTHS so how do i achieve that.

    Need your help and support.

  10. Trying index/match or vlookup and not working. Value trying to match is A1= James Logan Howlett. Match range has A25 = Logan Howlett, James.

    =INDEX(B25:B29,MATCH(A1,A25:A29,0)

    i am having trouble figuring out how to "match" the two names. Data list is relatively short so vlookup, index/match or something else I am not familiar with? In the output I am getting in some cells data that does not match up with the match value or it returns #N/A.

    Thank you in advance.

      • Thank you for the reply. Yes, this is the problem. Is there a solution? I have looked at wildcards and have not figured that out. Is there a formula that would allow the last names to be matched to one another? Is there a formula that would look at only "Logan Howlett" in one cell and match or vlookup it to the range containing "Logan Howlett"

        A formula that looks at "Parker" in Peter Parker and matches it, or vlookup to "Parker" in Parker, Peter? I have figured out how to match Peter Parker to P. Parker but the above scenario still has me stumped.

        Peter Parker > Parker, Peter
        James Logan Howlett > Logan Howlett, James

        I need both scenarios to work as some on the list have a second last name.

        • Hello!
          Read the instructions on how to split full name to first, last, and middle name from string.
          This formula matches the name from column A to column B and returns the matching value from column C

          =INDEX(C2:C8,MATCH(1,ISNUMBER(SEARCH(LEFT(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)-1),B2:B8))* ISNUMBER(SEARCH(MID(A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)+1,SEARCH(" ",A2,SEARCH(" ",A2)+1)-SEARCH(" ",A2)-1),B2:B8))* ISNUMBER(SEARCH(RIGHT(A2,LEN(A2)-SEARCH(" ",A2,SEARCH(" ",A2,1)+1)),B2:B8)),0))

          I hope it’ll be helpful.

  11. Hello!

    For index-match combination, is this possible to set the "lookup_value" inside match function to "a spill range"? My index-match formula works without any problem when lookup_value is a single value, however when I change that value to a spill range, result become #N/A. My aim is to expand the formula for each row on a table dynamically, within one single formulated cell.

  12. Hello! I need to output multiple values ​​with the same criteria, but it only outputs the first closest value. how can i complete the formula?

  13. I am trying to set up a golf spreadsheet. So I would have a column with all the player's names
    Then a Column with the scores. I then want excel to automatically select the first and second-highest scores.
    I did this with LARGE but if there is more than one score the same I need it to show all those players.
    65 Tom, 1st
    66 Jack John George, Second

    So excel pulls the score and player's names, including multiple players with the same score?

    • Hello!
      You can get a sorted list of values using the UNIQUE function and SORT function.

      =SORT(UNIQUE(A2:A15),,-1)

      Write this formula in cell C2.
      Use the FILTER function to get a multiple values by condition.

      =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,FILTER($B$2:$B$15,$A$2:$A$15=$C$2))

      =TEXTJOIN(", ",TRUE,FILTER($B$2:$B$15,RANK($A$2:$A$15,$A$2:$A$15,0)=ROW()-1))

      Write this formula in cell D2. After that you can copy this formula down along the column.
      I hope I answered your question. If something is still unclear, please feel free to ask.

  14. A B C D E
    At Admision Code - At admission Score - At discharge score - At discharge Score - At discharge Code
    IMBD0349 . 6 . ? . 2 . FSKA0306
    IMBD0350 . 8 . ? . 3 . SDBD0333
    IMBD0351 . 7 . ? . 5 . FSKA0308
    IMBD0352 . 9 . ? . 4 . IMBD0350
    FSKA0305 . 6 . ? . 8 . FSKA0305
    FSKA0306 . 8 . ? . 7 . JEID0044
    FSKA0307 . 7 . ? . 5 . IMBD0351
    FSKA0308 . 9 . ? . 3 . IMBD0349

    I want to match the column A code to column E Code after matching correct number should be automatically come to column C

  15. At Admision Code Gender At admission Score At discharge score At discharge Score At Discharge Code
    IMBD0349 Male 6 2 SDBD0332
    IMBD0350 Female 6 4 SDBD0333
    IMBD0351 Male 6 2 DJBD0012
    IMBD0352 Female 5 6 IMBD0350
    FSKA0305 Male 6 7 IMBD0351
    FSKA0306 Female 7 4 JEID0044
    FSKA0307 Male 5 3 HNRT0364
    FSKA0308 Female 6 6 HNRT0365
    FSKA0309 Male 6 5 FKRK0033
    HNRT0364 Female 5 2 URJE0044
    HNRT0365 Male 7 3 JFDK1123
    HNRT0366 Female 6 1 HNRT0367
    HNRT0367 Male 6 4 HNRT0368
    HNRT0368 Female 5 5 DFDD2322
    SDBD0332 Male 5 8 KIDK9922
    SDBD0333 Female 6 7 SDBD0335
    SDBD0334 Male 8 9 DLWW0098
    SDBD0335 Female 6 4 KDEK0088

    Match column A & F
    At discharge score column E
    match score should automatically come D column

  16. Hi,
    What is wrong with this formula. Getting error #N/A.

    {=INDEX($AX$2:$BI$288,MATCH(1,(AB2=$AW$2:$AW$288)*(AS2=$AX$1:$BI$1),0))}

      • Hello Alex,

        Yes, I understand. but Data is there in my index range. when I debug formula $AW$2:$AW$288 return false value even though AB2 data is there.
        How can I copy data or snip data here.
        Please
        Thanks for your time and quick reply.
        ABC

          • Hello Alex.
            yes, you are correct. updated and its works

            =INDEX($AX$2:$BI$288,MATCH(AB2,$AW$2:$AW$288,0),MATCH(AS2,$AX$1:$BI$1,0))
            Thanks,

  17. Thank you for all your help. Your service was excellent and very FAST. Many thanks for you kind and efficient service. I have already and will definitely continue to recommend your services to others in the future.

    • 1 it is
      1.1 it is not
      1.1.2 it is not good
      plz search item 1.1.2 and combine in excel

  18. I have used this Index Match function quite a few times; however, I am seeing something today that I can't figure out. Here is the formula I am using: =INDEX(Table3[#All],MATCH(1,($B4=Table3[Part No])*($A4=Table3[Site]),0),MATCH("Std Costs",Table3[#Headers],0))

    The result is finding data on the table, but it is returning the value 1 cell above the value that is being searched for. I don't know what is happening.

    Thanks,
    Duayne

    • Hello!
      Table3[#All] reference includes the entire table along with the header row. Here the first row is the headers, not the data. The rest of the links include only data without headers.
      I hope I answered your question. If something is still unclear, please feel free to ask.

  19. Thanks for your help and effort and providing same fiel with formulas. This is awsome.
    Keep the good work going on.

  20. Hi, your formula works fantastic for me! But get a zero in cells that has no data. How can I resolve this issue?
    This is the formula I am using
    =INDEX('B1'!$H$2:$H$3099,MATCH($C$18:$C$3115,'B1'!$B$2:$B$3099,0))

    Btw, I am a noob in this. Below was the original formula
    =INDEX('B1'!$H$2:$H$3099,MATCH(C18,'B1'!$B$2:$B$3099,0))
    It work fine, but when i copy to the rest of the same column below, no doubt the C18 will change accordingly but it shows the exact same info in the cell. However, when select the cell and click on the formula bar once and press enter, the info will change and it's accurate. Also, I don't know why when i move my cursor to the bottom right corner and when the + sign show up, I double click and nothing happen. It should duplicate the formula for the entire column right?

    Your kind advice will be very much appreciated!

    • Hi Texx,

      I cannot imagine how it can be that the formula returns zeros in cells that have no data; for me it returns the #N/A error in this case. Anyway, this can be easily fixed by wrapping your formula in the IFERROR function, so that it returns an empty string (blank cell) when no match is found:

      =IFERROR(INDEX('B1'!$H$2:$H$3099,MATCH(C18,'B1'!$B$2:$B$3099,0)), "")

      Also, I'd suggest that you stick with the original formula that uses a single cell for the lookup value (C18). Using a range may cause very frustrating issues (#SPILL error) when migrating to Excel 365 or Excel 2021.

      Double-clicking the plus sign works as long as there is some data in the adjacent column(s). As soon as an empty row occurs, the auto fill stops. In this case, you can copy the formula down by dragging the fill handle (a small square at the lower right-hand corner of the cell). For more information, please see How to copy formula in Excel.

Post a comment



Thank you for your comment!
When posting a question, please be very clear and concise. This will help us provide a quick and relevant solution to
your query. We cannot guarantee that we will answer every question, but we'll do our best :)