COMPUTER DATA MANAGEMENT – BSMLS1E
LESSON 5
LOOKUP FUNCTION
WHAT IS VLOOKUP?
• VLOOKUP lets you search for specific information
in your spreadsheet. For example, if you have a list of
products with prices, you could search for the price of
a specific item.
HOW TO USE VLOOKUP FUNCTION?
• We're going to use VLOOKUP to find the price of the
Photo frame. You can probably already see that the
price is $9.99, but that's because this is a simple
example. Once you learn how to use VLOOKUP, you'll
be able to use it with larger, more complex
spreadsheets, and that's when it will become truly
useful.
• We'll add our formula to cell F2, but you can add it to
any blank cell. As with any formula, you'll start with an
equals sign (=). Then type the formula name. Our
arguments will need to be in parentheses, so type an
open parenthesis. So far, it should look like this:
=VLOOKUP(
ADDING ARGUMENTS
Now, we'll add our arguments. The arguments will tell
VLOOKUP what to search for and where to search.
1. The first argument is the name of the item you're searching for,
which in this case is Photo frame. Because the argument is text,
we'll need to put it in double quotes:
=VLOOKUP("Photo frame"
2.The second argument is the cell range that contains the data.
In this example, our data is in A2:B16. As with any function, you'll
need to use a comma to separate each argument:
=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16
It's important to know that VLOOKUP will always search the first
column in this range. In this example, it will search column A for
"Photo frame". The value that it returns (in this case, the price) will
always need to be to the right of that column.
3.The third argument is the column index number. It's simpler than
it sounds: The first column in the range is 1, the second column is
2, etc. In this case, we are trying to find the price of the item, and
the prices are contained in the second column. This means our third
argument will be 2:
=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2
4. The fourth argument tells VLOOKUP whether to look for
approximate matches, and it can be either TRUE or FALSE. If it
is TRUE, it will look for approximate matches. Generally, this is
only useful if the first column has numerical values that have
been sorted. Because we're only looking for exact matches, the
fourth argument should be FALSE. This is our last argument, so
go ahead and close the parenthesis:
=VLOOKUP("Photo frame", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)
❖ That's it! When you press Enter, it should give you the
answer, which is 9.99.
HOW IT WORKS
➢ Let's take a look at how this formula works. It first
searches vertically down the first column (VLOOKUP
is short for vertical lookup). When it finds "Photo frame",
it moves to the second column to find the price.
• If we want to find the price of a different item, we can
just change the first argument:
=VLOOKUP("T-shirt", A2:B16, 2, FALSE) or
=VLOOKUP("Gift basket", A2:B16, 2, FALSE)
EDITING VLOOKUP FORMULA USING
CELL REFERENCE
EXAMPLE
• In the previous example, we typed the item name
directly into the VLOOKUP formula. But in the real
world, you'll usually use a cell reference instead. In
this example, we'll type the item name in cell E2, and
our VLOOKUP formula can then use a cell reference
to find information about that product. Then, we can
simply type a new item name into E2 to find any
product we want.
• We've also added a third column that has the category
for each item. This will give us the option of finding the
price or category. Here's what the spreadsheet looks
like so far:
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• Our formula will be similar to The previous example,
but we'll need to change the first three arguments.
Let's start by changing the first argument to a cell
reference (make sure to remove the quotation marks):
=VLOOKUP(E2, A2:B16, 2, FALSE)
• To find the category, we'll need to change the second
and third arguments. First, we'll change the range to
A2:C16 so it includes the third column. Next, we'll
change the column index number to 3 because our
categories are in the third column:
=VLOOKUP(E2, A2:C16, 3, FALSE)
• When you press Enter, you'll see that the Gift basket is in
the Gifts category.
• If we want to find the category of a different item, we can
simply change the item name in E2:
PART 1: VLOOKUP
FREE SHIPPING FORMULA
OUR SPREADSHEET
• If the subtotal for an order is at least $100, the
shipping should be free. If not, it should cost $5.99.
We could use the IF function to solve this problem. As
you may remember from our lesson on Using the IF
Function, we can use it to test a condition and then
write something in a cell depending on the result. In
this example, the IF function can tell us whether the
subtotal is at least $100 and then set the shipping
cost depending on the result.
WRITING THE FUNCTION
1. The first argument sets up the condition the IF
function will test: In this example, if the value in cell D6
is greater than or equal to 100. So our first argument
will be D6>=100.
2. The second argument tells the function what to write
if the condition is true. In this example, if the value is
greater than or equal to 100, we want it to write "0" in
the cell. So our second argument will be 0.
3. The third argument tells the function what to write if
the conditionis false: In this example, if the value is
less than 100, we want it to use the value from cell G3
(5.99). So our third argument will be $G$3 (we'll use
an absolute reference here just in case we move this
formula in the future).
• Here's our function: =IF(D6>=100,0,$G$3). We'll enter
this function into cell D7.
• If you entered the function correctly, the shipping cost
should change from $5.99 to $0.00. That's because
the Order Subtotal is more than $100.
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• If you want to test the function, change the value in
cell C2 from 2 to 1. Because the Order Subtotal is now
less than $100, the Shipping cost should change from
$0.00 to $5.99.
PART 2: VLOOKUP
USING PRODUCT ID NUMBER TO FIND PRODUCT
NAME AND PRICE
• VLOOKUP is a bit more advanced than some
functions, so you'll need to be familiar with functions
and cell references before you begin. You can review
our lessons on Functions and Relative and
Absolute Cell References to learn more.
HOW IT WORKS
• Before we start using VLOOKUP, it will be helpful to
know what it does. In our example, it will search for
the Product ID number on the Products worksheet. It
first searches vertically down the first column
(VLOOKUP is short for "vertical lookup"). When it finds
the desired product ID, it moves to the right to find
the product name and product price.
ARGUMENTS TO USE:
1. The first argument tells VLOOKUP what to search
for. In our example, we're searching for the product
ID number, which is in cell A2, so our first argument is
A2.
2. The second argument is a cell range that tells
VLOOKUP where to look for the value from our first
argument. In our example, we want it to search for this
value in cell range A2:C13 on the Products
worksheet, so our second argument is
Products!$A$2:$C$13. Note that we're using
absolute references so this range won't change
when we copy the formula to other cells.
3. The third argument is the column index number,
which is simpler than it sounds: The first column in the
cell range from the previous argument is 1, the second
column is 2, and so on. In our example, we're looking
for the Product Name. The names are stored in the
second column of the cell range from the previous
argument, so our third argument is 2.
4. The fourth argument tells VLOOKUP if it should look
for approximate or exact matches. If it is TRUE, it
will look for approximate matches. If it is FALSE, it
will look for exact matches. In this example, we're only
looking for exact matches, so our fourth argument is
FALSE.
• It's important to know that VLOOKUP will always
search the leftmost column in the cell range. Since
our cell range is A2:C13, it will search column A.
WRITING THE FUNCTION
Now that we have our arguments, we'll write our function in cell
B2.
We'll start by typing an equals sign (=), followed by the function
name and an open parenthesis:
=VLOOKUP(
Next, we'll add each of the four arguments, separate them with
commas, then close the parentheses:
=VLOOKUP(A2, Products!$A$2:$C$13, 2, FALSE)
Þ If you entered the function correctly, the product name
should appear: Measuring cups. If you want to test
your function, change the Product ID number in cell
A2 from MEA7879 to CHE7888. The product name
should change from Measuring cups to
Cheesecloth.
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ADDING THE PRODUCT PRICE

• Next, we also want the Product ID to pull in the
product price, so we'll use the VLOOKUP function
again. Since we're using the same data, this function
will be very similar to the one we just added. In fact, all
we have to do is change the third argument to 3.
This will tell VLOOKUP to pull in the data from the
third column, where the product price is stored:
=VLOOKUP(A2, Products!$A$2:$C$13, 3, FALSE)
Let’s enter our new formula in cell C2:

• But if we look at the function in cell B3, we can see

that the VLOOKUP function is only searching for
information in cell range A2:C13.
We've got our formulas working, so we can just select cells B2
and C2 and. then drag the fill handle down to copy the
formulas to the other rows in the invoice. Now, each row is
using VLOOKUP to find the Product Name and Product Price.

Þ As you can see, the VLOOKUP function isn't

PART 3: VLOOKUP
FIXING BROKEN FORMULA
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO FIX?
• Let's see if we can figure out what went wrong. Our
coworker added some new products to the Products
worksheet, but they don't work with the existing
VLOOKUP functions. If we look at the Products
worksheet, we can see that there are a few new
products listed here. The data spans cell range
A2:C16.
searching the full list of products; it's only
searching down to row 13. So it has no trouble finding
the Ramekin, but it won't be able to find the Zester,
Grater, or Wire whisk.
Þ To fix this, we'll need to change the second
argument in VLOOKUP so it searches the entire
product list. There are two ways to do this:
• Update the cell ranges
• Use a table (Microsoft Excel only)
UPDATE CELL RANGES
• One way to fix this problem is to simply update the cell
ranges in our VLOOKUP functions. Let's try editing the
function in cell B3, where it's stopped working.

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• We'll edit the function to include all of the cells in the

Products table. And just in case more products are
added later, we'll increase the number of rows in the
cell range to 100. This means we're including a lot of
empty rows, but that's OK—the VLOOKUP function
will still work the same way. So here's our new
function:
=VLOOKUP(A3, Products!$A$2:$C$100, 2, FALSE)

The function will recalculate, and the correct product name

should appear: Zester. We'll also make the same correction to
the remaining VLOOKUP functions in the spreadsheet:

And that's it! Now our spreadsheet's working correctly, and it'll
be harder to break these functions in the future.

USE A TABLE
• Above, we fixed our VLOOKUP function by extending
the cell range to row 100. However, if we continue
adding more products, we will eventually break the
VLOOKUP function again, so this is not a perfect
solution. If you're using Microsoft Excel, a much better
solution is to use a table. This will ensure that any
new data will be included automatically.
For EXCEL 2003 and EARLIER:
• Go to Data > List > Create List (tables were known
as lists in Excel 2003 and earlier).
Next, we'll name the table. In this example, we'll give it the
name: ProductsList. Note that table names cannot contain
spaces.

First, we'll select our product information and then convert it to

a table. Note that this will work a bit differently depending on
which version of Excel you're using:

For EXCEL 2007-2019:

Go to Insert > Table.

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Now let's go back to our VLOOKUP function. Rather than Type the formula into cell E7 of the Invoice and press Enter to
telling VLOOKUP to search in a specific range on the Products see the result.
worksheet (Products!$A$2:$C$100), we can simply type the
name of the table (ProductsList). So here's our new function:
=VLOOKUP(A3, ProductsList, 2, FALSE)

• If anyone ever adds information to the table, the

VLOOKUP function will include it automatically—no
need to worry about updating the cell range later on.
Again, you'll need to update all of the VLOOKUP
functions in the spreadsheet to refer to the table rather
than the cell range.

PART 5: VLOOKUP
USING SHIPPING OPTION TO. AUTOMATICALLY
PULL SHIPPING COST
We'll need to use the Shipping Option (in cell E6) to automatically
pull in the Shipping Cost for cell E7. We can use a VLOOKUP
function to do this automatically.
WRITING THE FUNTION
This VLOOKUP function will actually be similar to the
VLOOKUP function we created in Part 2 of 5: VLOOKUP. We'll
start by typing the equals sign (=), followed by the function
name and an open parenthesis: • If you typed the formula correctly, the correct shipping
=VLOOKUP( price should appear: $9.99. If you want to make sure
your formula is working correctly, change the Shipping
1. Next, we'll add our arguments. The first argument Option in cell E6 from 3-Day to 2-Day. The Shipping
tells VLOOKUP what to search for. In our example, it Cost should change from $9.99 to $13.99.
will search for the Shipping Option, which we will be
typing in cell E6 of our Invoice. IF FUNCTION
=VLOOKUP(E6 As you may remember from Part 1 of 5: VLOOKUP, we used
2. The second argument tells VLOOKUP where to look the IF function to change the shipping cost to $0 if the cost of
for the value in our first argument. In our example, the order was at least $100. This time, we'll do it a bit
that's in the Shipping worksheet, in cell range A2:B4 differently: If the order is at least $100, we'll give them a credit
of $5.99, which is the cost of standard shipping. This means
standard shipping will be free, and the more expensive
shipping options will also get a discount of $5.99.

We'll include some extra rows in the cell range in case more
shipping options are added later.
=VLOOKUP(E6, Shipping!A2:B10
3, 4. Finally, we'll add our third and fourth arguments. In
this example, the Shipping Cost is in column B (the second
column), so our third argument is 2. And because we're only
looking for exact matches, the fourth argument is FALSE.
1. Just like before, our new formula will look at the Order
Subtotal in cell E5 to see if the value is greater than or
equal to $100, so our first argument will be E5>=100.
=IF(E5>=100
2. The second argument looks to see if the statement in
the first argument is true. If it's true, they'll receive a
credit for the cost of standard shipping (5.99). Since
the credit will be subtracted from the total order cost,
we'll make it a negative number: -5.99.
=IF(E5>=100,-5.99
3. The third argument looks to see if the statement in
the first argument is false. If it's false, they won't
receive the $5.99 shipping credit. This means our third
argument will be 0 (zero). We'll also add a close
parenthesis after the last argument. Here's our new IF
function:
=IF(E5>=100, -5.99, 0)

=VLOOKUP(E6, Shipping!A2:B10, 2, FALSE)

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When you press Enter, the correct discount should appear in
cell E8.
• If we look at the formula that calculates the Total
Order Cost in cell E9, we can calculate the total value
of Order Subtotal, Shipping Cost, and Discount.
We'll simply add all three values; since the Discount is
a negative number, that value will be subtracted from
the Total Order Cost.
PART 5: VLOOKUP
DATA VALIDATION
WHAT ARE WE TRYING TO FIX?
If we look at cell E6, we can see that the word Standard is
misspelled. The Shipping worksheet doesn't contain the word
"Standrd", so our VLOOKUP function doesn't return any
results. While we could simply type in the correct spelling, that
wouldn't prevent someone from making the same mistake in
the future. To make sure this. doesn't happen again, we can
add data validation to our spreadsheet.
DATA VALIDATION
Data validation allows you to control exactly what a user can
enter into a cell. In our example, we can use data validation to
ensure that the user chooses one of the three possible shipping
options. To make things even easier, we can insert a drop-
down list of the possible options.
This kind of data validation allows you to build a powerful, fool-
proof spreadsheet. Since users won't have to type in data
manually, the spreadsheet will be faster to use, and there's a
much lower chance that someone can introduce an error.
Depending on what spreadsheet program you're using, the
process of adding data validation will vary. We'll show you how
to add data validation in Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets.
DATA VALIDATION IN EXCEL
Since we already have a list of shipping options in the
Shipping worksheet, we're going to tell Excel to use the data in
that list to control which values a user can select. But before we
do this, we'll actually need to name the cell range first.
Naming cell ranges is one way to keep track of important cell
ranges in your spreadsheet.
NAMING A CELL RANGE
EXCEL 2007-2019
1. Select the cell range you wish to name. In this example, we'll
select the cell range A2:A10 on the Shipping worksheet (we're
including empty rows just in case more shipping options are
added later on).
2. Go to the Formulas tab, and then click Define Name.
3.A dialog box will appear. Type a name for the cell range in
the Name: field and then click OK. In our example, we'll name.
it ShipRange.
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3. A dialog box will appear. In the Allow: field, select List.

4. Click OK. The cell range will be named. 4.In the Source: field, type the equals sign (=) and the name of
If you ever add more data to your spreadsheet, you can easily your range, and then click OK. In our example, we'll type:
check all of your named ranges with the Name Manager to =ShipRange.
make sure they are including all of the data.

CREATE A DATA VALIDATION DROP-DOWN LIST

EXCEL 2007-2019
1. Select the cell where you want the drop-down list to appear.
In our example, that's cell E6 on the Invoice worksheet.

2. On the Data tab, click the Data Validation command.

5. A drop-down arrow will appear next to the selected cell. Click

the arrow to select the desired option. In our example, we'll
select Standard. Alternatively, you can type the shipping
option, but Excel will only accept it if it is spelled correctly.

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6. The selected value will appear in the cell. Now that we're 2. A dialog box will appear. Click Select data range in the
searching for the exact name of a shipping option, our Criteria: field.
VLOOKUP function is working correctly again.

3. Select the data that will appear in the drop-down list, and
then click OK. In our example, the shipping options are stored
in cell range A2:A4 on the Shipping worksheet, but we'll select
A2:A10 (we're including empty rows just in case more shipping
options are added later on).

DATA VALIDATION IN GOOGLE SHEETS

Creating a drop-down list for Google Sheets is actually a little
simpler than Excel, because you don't need to name a cell
range beforehand.

CREATE A DATA VALIDATION DROP-DOWN LIST

1. Right-click the cell where you want the drop-down list to
appear and select Data validation. In our example, we'll select
cell E6.

4. Click Save to close the dialog box.

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5. A drop-down arrow will appear within the selected cell. Click

the arrow to select the desired option. In our example, we'll
select Standard. Alternatively, you can type the shipping
option, but Google Sheets will only accept it if it is spelled
correctly.

6. The selected value will appear in the cell.

There we go—with our new data validation drop-down list, it'll

be a lot harder for someone to break our function in the future!

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