Use INDEX and MATCH instead of VLOOKUP in Microsoft Excel

Boost your Lookup skills with powerful INDEX and MATCH combo 

Do you want to develop stronger Excel skills? From analyzing financial reports to managing sales data or building interactive dashboards, INDEX and MATCH could constitute the one big change that outclasses VLOOKUP. This not only overcomes the fundamental restrictions that VLOOKUP has but also enhances flexibility, accuracy, and efficiency in data operations.

🔍 But Why Would Anyone Want to Make a Switch from VLOOKUP to INDEX AND MATCH?

• Searches can be done left or right: The only search VLOOKUP permits is the search to the right. INDEX-MATCH breaks this barrier.
• Dynamically referenced column: MATCH finds the correct column dynamically so that fewer hardcoded references are used.
• Search for performance: With large data, INDEX-MATCH tends to load and recalculate faster. 
• Less error-prone: Adding or deleting columns does not affect the results, unlike with VLOOKUP. 
• Supports other types of lookups: This includes partial matches, closest matches, and lookups with multiple search conditions. 

🛠 Understand the INDEX and MATCH Functions in Excel

✅ INDEX Function

Syntax:

=INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])

The function returns the value in the nth row and mth column of the supplied array.

✅ MATCH Function

Syntax:

=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])

It locates the position of your lookup value in a one-dimensional range

🔗 Join INDEX and MATCH in querying the like so:

=INDEX(return_range, MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_range, 0))

 return_range : The column or row with the answer you want

 lookup_value : The value you want to find

 lookup_range : The column or row where the search is performed

💼 Real-life Example: Finding the Department for an Employee

Data Table:

To find Sarah's department:

=INDEX(B2:B4, MATCH("Sarah", A2:A4, 0))

Result: Finance

💡 Examples of INDEX and MATCH in practice

• Return customer orders from the database
• Match a product ID to its latest price
• Fetch a student's scores by ID or name
• Match and extract employee data from HR worksheets
• Construct smarter data validation lists

🚫 Things VLOOKUP Cannot Do but INDEX-MATCH Does

• Does it break when columns are moved? ✅ Not in the case of MATCH.
• Does it look to the left? ✅ If INDEX-NATCH can.
• Does performance hibernate very large files? ✅ INDEX-MATCH is faster.
• Does into error when there is an insertion or deletion of columns? ✅ INDEX-MATCH automatically fixes.

💪 Pro Tips to Get INDEX-MATCH Right

• Wrap with IFERROR to deal with missing values: =IFERROR(INDEX(...), "Not Found")
• Combine with nested IFs or logical tests for more advanced searching
• Use MATCH to pull column numbers in flexible templates dynamically
• Replace volatile functions like OFFSET or INDIRECT for better workbook performance

By mastering INDEX and MATCH, you’ll unlock smarter and more accurate ways to pull information from your spreadsheets. It’s the perfect formula duo for data analysts, accountants, project managers, and Excel power users aiming for precision, flexibility, and performance.

Upgrade your formulas, enhance your workflow, and never settle for broken lookups again.

🎓 Learn More with Other Levels

Take your Excel skills to the next level:

• 🌐 Visit our Other Levels Website

• 📺 Watch free tutorials on our Other Levels YouTube Channel, and learn Microsoft Excel from beginner to advanced.

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