VLOOKUP has become a staple in Excel, familiar to anyone who has worked with spreadsheets, whether they use it or not. It's often discussed by skilled users at work. Advanced users frequently employ Excel VLOOKUP with multiple criteria to refine their searches. For instance, if looking for 'Nate Harris' in an employee database, they might want to limit the search to the 'Sales-department' only. This means using two criteria for the search ('Nate Harris' and 'Sales-department').

Add a new column after column B and label it as you see fit in cell C1.

In cell C2, input the following formula and drag it down to cover all rows in your dataset.

=A2&B2

In brief: The syntax of VLOOKUP

The components required for a VLOOKUP formula (its syntax) are quite simple.

Follow these steps:

STEP 1: Begin the VLOOKUP function in the empty cell where you want to retrieve the data.

=VLOOKUP(

STEP 2: Input the first argument – lookup_value

The ‘lookup_value’ represents what you're searching for, but not the result you're aiming to find.

Typically, this is something you already know, like an employee's name (column A) and their department (column B), while the unknown in this case is their salary (column C).

To perform an Excel VLOOKUP with multiple criteria, you need to adjust the lookup value within the function. The lookup value should be a combination of the two criteria you wish to include in the VLOOKUP.

Place the VLOOKUP formula in F2, the first criterion in G2, and the second criterion in H2. The lookup value for the VLOOKUP should be: G2&H2.

=VLOOKUP(G2&H2,

STEP 3: Input the second argument – table_array

The ‘table_array’ specifies the area where the data is located.

For a standard 'VLOOKUP', this would span from column A to C. However, with the helper column, the range we need to use here is from column C to D.

=VLOOKUP(G2&H2,C:D,

STEP 4: Input the third argument – col_index_number

The ‘col_index_number’ indicates which column within the 'table_array' should return the result.

Our 'table_array' includes two columns, and we're looking to retrieve the salary from column D (the second column in our 'table_array'). Therefore, this number should be 2 in our example.

=VLOOKUP(G2&H2,C:D,2,

STEP 5: Input the fourth argument – [range_lookup]

The [range_lookup] parameter is simply set to 'TRUE' or 'FALSE' to tell Excel whether to use an approximate or exact match for the lookup.

Refer to the previously mentioned 'VLOOKUP' article for more details. In this example, we'll use 'FALSE' for this parameter.

=VLOOKUP(G2&H2,C:D,2,0)

The complete formula will look like this:

This concludes our guide on setting up Excel VLOOKUP with multiple criteria!

You've completed it!

Utilizing VLOOKUP with multiple conditions is straightforward (as promised!). You can now adjust the criteria in cells G2 and H2 to experiment with your new multi-criteria lookup tool.

Frequently Asked Questions

How can I perform VLOOKUP with multiple criteria without using a helper column?

You can employ the CHOOSE function within VLOOKUP to create a dynamic array that combines multiple criteria, eliminating the need for a helper column.

Why does VLOOKUP fail with multiple criteria?

VLOOKUP inherently searches based on a single value and doesn't natively support multiple conditions. You'll need a workaround like a helper column or opt for INDEX-MATCH instead.

How do I set up a helper column for multiple criteria in VLOOKUP?

Insert a new column and use a formula like =A2&B2 to merge multiple columns into a single unique key. Then, apply VLOOKUP to this helper column.

Can I use VLOOKUP with multiple criteria in Excel 365?

Yes, but XLOOKUP is more suitable. It supports direct lookups with multiple conditions without needing workarounds like helper columns.

What is the best alternative to VLOOKUP for multiple criteria?

The INDEX-MATCH formula combined with an array formula (MATCH(1, (Criteria1=Range1) * (Criteria2=Range2), 0)) offers greater flexibility and reliability.

Guest Blog Post By:

Kasper Langmann from Spreadsheeto.com

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