Mike has placed an order for one laptop, two phones, and five speakers. The data for the invoice will come from our price list. The corresponding value will automatically populate.įor our in-depth tutorial, we'll be creating a small, dummy invoice for an order placed by our customer Mike. Step 5: Once your VLOOKUP function is complete, press Enter / return. Step 4: Select the VLOOKUP function, and then enter the four arguments one after the other: the lookup value, the table array, the column index number, and the range lookup. Step 3: Select the cell where you want to enter the looked-up value and enter =vlookup. Step 2: Create a second table where you want to look up the values from the first table. We'll dive deeper into the process below.
#Creating vlookup in excel 2016 how to#
Here's a brief overview of how to use VLOOKUP in Excel Online. For our above example to work, the Items column that includes the Laptop cell will have to be in the first column. Note: The VLOOKUP function only works when your search term is in the left-most column. You can think of them like advanced filters in Gmail search.
These parameters will help you search for and call up the value corresponding to the cell you're filling in. The VLOOKUP function is made up of four arguments (or parameters). Instead of copying and pasting the prices from our inventory list to our invoice, we can use the VLOOKUP function to automatically add the price of the laptop and the smartwatch to the invoice cost field. We're creating an invoice for Mike, who bought a laptop and a smartwatch. You can use the LOOKUP function to return the price in cell H2 when you enter the auto part number in cell H1. For example, lets say you know the part number for an auto part, but you dont know the price. Using VLOOKUP, we can automate the process of filling in updated prices for an item on our invoices. Use LOOKUP, one of the lookup and reference functions, when you need to look in a single row or column and find a value from the same position in a second row or column. We use Excel for inventory management and invoicing, so all of our inventory lives in a spreadsheet, and we also create our invoices in a spreadsheet. Let's say we run an electronics distribution company called All Tech Ltd. Here's a practical example of when you might use VLOOKUP. The VLOOKUP formula relies on four different arguments to present a filtered result that is, you give it four inputs, and it gives you one output. It works like any other function or formula in Excel, like SUM or AVERAGE. VLOOKUP helps you look up a corresponding value for a cell from within your existing database. Open the worksheet, and click Save to OneDrive to edit and practice with the data. We've created a demo worksheet that you can practice with. Here, we'll guide you through the process of how to use the VLOOKUP function in Excel Online. So what does VLOOKUP do? Like the name implies, it allows you to quickly look up any value that lives somewhere else in your spreadsheet. VLOOKUP is one of the most powerful features in Excel, but it's also kind of scary at first glance.