Google Sheets Vlookup: Fetching Data From Another Sheet

Google Sheets is a powerful tool for managing and analyzing data, and one of its most useful functions is VLOOKUP. VLOOKUP allows you to search for a value in a table and return a corresponding value from another column. In this article, we'll explore how to use VLOOKUP to fetch data from another sheet in Google Sheets.

What is VLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP is a function in Google Sheets that allows you to search for a value in a table and return a corresponding value from another column. The function takes four arguments: the value to search for, the range of cells to search in, the column number to return a value from, and an optional argument to specify an exact match.

How to Use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets

To use VLOOKUP in Google Sheets, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to display the result.
2. Type =VLOOKUP( to start the function.
3. Enter the value you want to search for, followed by a comma.
4. Select the range of cells to search in, including the column headers.
5. Enter the column number that contains the value you want to return, followed by a comma.
6. Optionally, specify an exact match by entering FALSE or 0.
7. Close the function with a closing parenthesis ).

Fetching Data From Another Sheet Using VLOOKUP

To fetch data from another sheet using VLOOKUP, you need to reference the sheet name in the range argument. Follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to display the result.
2. Type =VLOOKUP( to start the function.
3. Enter the value you want to search for, followed by a comma.
4. Select the range of cells to search in, including the column headers, from the other sheet. Use the sheet name followed by an exclamation mark ! to reference the sheet. For example, Sheet2!A:B.
5. Enter the column number that contains the value you want to return, followed by a comma.
6. Optionally, specify an exact match by entering FALSE or 0.
7. Close the function with a closing parenthesis ).

Example: Fetching Employee Data From Another Sheet

Suppose you have two sheets in your Google Sheets document: Employees and Salaries. The Employees sheet contains a list of employee names, IDs, and departments, while the Salaries sheet contains the corresponding salaries for each employee ID.

To fetch the salary for an employee named John Doe from the Salaries sheet using VLOOKUP, follow these steps:

1. Select the cell where you want to display the result, for example, cell A2.
2. Type =VLOOKUP( to start the function.
3. Enter the value you want to search for, which is John Doe's employee ID, for example, 1234.
4. Select the range of cells to search in from the Salaries sheet, including the column headers, for example, Salaries!A:B.
5. Enter the column number that contains the salary value, which is 2 in this case.
6. Close the function with a closing parenthesis ).

The complete VLOOKUP function would look like this: =VLOOKUP(1234, Salaries!A:B, 2, FALSE)

Tips and Variations

Here are some tips and variations to keep in mind when using VLOOKUP:

• Use an exact match by entering FALSE or 0 as the fourth argument to ensure that VLOOKUP returns an exact match.
• Use the INDEX-MATCH function combination as an alternative to VLOOKUP for more flexibility and power.
• Use the VLOOKUP function with multiple criteria by using the FILTER function to filter the data before applying VLOOKUP.
• Use the VLOOKUP function with multiple sheets by referencing the sheet name in the range argument.

Common Errors and Troubleshooting

Here are some common errors and troubleshooting tips to keep in mind when using VLOOKUP:

• Make sure to reference the correct sheet name in the range argument.
• Ensure that the value you're searching for is in the correct column.
• Check that the column number is correct and matches the column header.
• Verify that the data is formatted correctly and does not contain any errors.

Gallery of VLOOKUP Examples

VLOOKUP Example Gallery

We hope this comprehensive guide to using VLOOKUP in Google Sheets has been helpful. Whether you're a beginner or an advanced user, VLOOKUP is a powerful function that can help you fetch data from another sheet and improve your productivity.