Sick of scrolling through spreadsheets trying to find the right data? With Excel’s VLOOKUP function, you can stop guessing and start pulling exactly the information you need in seconds. This complete guide from 3minread.com shows you how to use VLOOKUP in a single sheet, across multiple spreadsheets, and even between workbooks—plus how to leverage AI tools like Microsoft Copilot and Zapier to automate the entire process.

What Is VLOOKUP and Why It Matters

VLOOKUP is Excel’s answer to fast, precise data lookup in massive datasets.

If you’ve ever spent too much time trying to cross-reference data in Excel manually, you know how quickly it becomes a frustrating maze of rows and columns. That’s where VLOOKUP (short for Vertical Lookup) comes in. It's one of Excel’s most powerful and widely used functions, helping you locate and extract information from large tables instantly.

VLOOKUP works by scanning a table vertically to find a specific value in the first column, then pulling related data from another column in the same row. Think of it like asking Excel: “Find this name, and tell me their ID number,” or “Look up this product code, and show me its price.”

The function uses four simple parameters:

• Lookup Value – The item you want to find.
• Table Array – The range of cells that contain the data.
• Column Index Number – The column number in the table from which to retrieve the data.
• Range Lookup – A setting that tells Excel whether to find an exact match (FALSE) or an approximate match (TRUE).

A basic VLOOKUP formula looks like this:
=VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, column_index_number, range_lookup)

Whether you're a beginner or a pro, mastering VLOOKUP will make working with Excel faster, easier, and way more efficient.

How to Use VLOOKUP in a Single Excel Spreadsheet

Quickly extract related data from one table using VLOOKUP.

Let’s say you're managing a list of employees and you want to find someone’s ID number using their last name. You have a table with names in column B, IDs in column D, and you're entering the search name in cell B6. Here's how to use VLOOKUP to get the ID into cell B13:

1. Click cell B13, where you want the result.

2. Type: =VLOOKUP(B6,B2:D10,3,FALSE)

   • B6 is your search value (last name).
   • B2:D10 is your data range.
   • 3 tells Excel to pull from the third column in the range (column D).
   • FALSE ensures an exact match.

3. Press Enter. The correct employee ID is returned.

Important: VLOOKUP only works when the lookup value is in the first column of the range. If it's not, you’ll need to rearrange your data or copy the necessary columns elsewhere before using the function.

Using VLOOKUP Across Two Spreadsheets in the Same Workbook

Pull data from one sheet into another using a single formula.

Let’s say you’ve got employee records in Sheet1, and updated email addresses in Sheet2. You want to pull emails into Sheet1 without copying and pasting manually.

1. Click into the cell on Sheet1 where you want the email to appear (e.g., E2).

2. Use this formula:
   =VLOOKUP(B2,Sheet2!$A$2:$C$10,3,FALSE)

   • Sheet2! points Excel to the second sheet.
   • $A$2:$C$10 is the fixed range of data (the dollar signs lock it in).
   • 3 means you're pulling from the third column in that range (email addresses).
   • FALSE ensures you only get exact matches.

3. Press Enter. The matching email appears.

4. Drag the fill handle down to apply the formula to more cells.

This method is perfect for syncing data across spreadsheets without breaking a sweat.

How to Use VLOOKUP Across Workbooks

Link Excel files together and automatically retrieve data from other documents.

Need to pull data from a completely separate file? No problem. VLOOKUP works across workbooks, too.

Suppose your email addresses are stored in a separate file called 2023_employee_emails.xlsx, in Sheet1.

Use the formula:
=VLOOKUP(B2,[2023_employee_emails.xlsx]Sheet1!$A$2:$C$10,3,FALSE)

• [file_name.xlsx]Sheet1! tells Excel where to look (you must have both workbooks open for this to work smoothly).
• The rest of the formula works the same as before.

This is especially useful for managing large datasets spread across multiple files—like financial records, inventory systems, or employee databases.