Intro
Master the art of Excel Vlookup with partial match. Learn expert tips and examples on how to use Vlookup with wildcards, partial matches, and multiple criteria to enhance your data retrieval skills. Improve data analysis and decision-making with precise and efficient lookup techniques, including fuzzy matching and wildcard characters.
Excel Vlookup is a powerful function that allows you to search for a value in a table and return a corresponding value from another column. However, the traditional Vlookup function requires an exact match between the search value and the value in the table. But what if you need to perform a partial match? In this article, we will explore the tips and examples of using Excel Vlookup with partial match.
Understanding the Vlookup Function
Before we dive into the partial match technique, let's quickly review the traditional Vlookup function. The syntax of the Vlookup function is as follows:
VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup])
- lookup_value: The value you want to search for in the table.
- table_array: The range of cells that contains the table you want to search.
- col_index_num: The column number that contains the value you want to return.
- [range_lookup]: Optional argument that specifies whether you want an exact match or an approximate match.
Using Wildcards for Partial Match
One way to perform a partial match with Vlookup is to use wildcards. Wildcards are special characters that can represent one or more characters in a search string. The two most commonly used wildcards in Excel are:
- Asterisk (*): Represents any sequence of characters.
- Question mark (?): Represents a single character.
To use wildcards with Vlookup, you need to enclose the search value in double quotes and insert the wildcard character. For example:
VLOOKUP("apple*", table_array, col_index_num, FALSE)
This formula will search for any value that starts with "apple" and return the corresponding value from the specified column.
Using the SEARCH Function for Partial Match
Another way to perform a partial match with Vlookup is to use the SEARCH function. The SEARCH function returns the position of a character or string within a text string. You can use the SEARCH function to search for a value within a cell and then use the Vlookup function to return the corresponding value.
The syntax of the SEARCH function is as follows:
SEARCH(find_text, within_text, [start_num])
- find_text: The text you want to search for.
- within_text: The text you want to search within.
- [start_num]: Optional argument that specifies the starting position of the search.
To use the SEARCH function with Vlookup, you can combine the two functions as follows:
VLOOKUP("" & SEARCH(find_text, within_text) & "", table_array, col_index_num, FALSE)
This formula will search for the find_text within the within_text and return the corresponding value from the specified column.
Using the IF and ISNUMBER Functions for Partial Match
Another way to perform a partial match with Vlookup is to use the IF and ISNUMBER functions. The IF function tests a condition and returns one value if true and another value if false. The ISNUMBER function checks if a value is a number and returns TRUE or FALSE.
To use the IF and ISNUMBER functions with Vlookup, you can combine the three functions as follows:
VLOOKUP(IF(ISNUMBER(SEARCH(find_text, within_text)), find_text, ""), table_array, col_index_num, FALSE)
This formula will search for the find_text within the within_text and return the corresponding value from the specified column if the search is successful. If the search is not successful, it will return a blank value.
Example of Using Vlookup with Partial Match
Suppose we have a table that contains a list of employees with their corresponding employee IDs. We want to search for an employee by their last name, but we only know a part of their last name.
| Employee ID | Last Name | First Name |
|---|---|---|
| 101 | Smith | John |
| 102 | Johnson | Mary |
| 103 | Williams | David |
| 104 | Brown | Emily |
| 105 | Davis | Michael |
We can use the Vlookup function with wildcards to search for the employee by their last name. For example:
VLOOKUP("sm*", A2:C6, 2, FALSE)
This formula will search for any last name that starts with "sm" and return the corresponding employee ID.
Conclusion
In this article, we have explored the tips and examples of using Excel Vlookup with partial match. We have learned how to use wildcards, the SEARCH function, and the IF and ISNUMBER functions to perform a partial match with Vlookup. These techniques can be useful when you need to search for a value in a table but only know a part of the value.
We hope this article has been helpful in improving your Excel skills. If you have any questions or need further assistance, please don't hesitate to ask.
Gallery of Excel Vlookup with Partial Match
Excel Vlookup with Partial Match Image Gallery
