Hlookup in Excel
Hlookup in Excel searches for a value in the top row of a table or an array of values, and then returns a value in the same column from a row you specify in the table or array.
How to implement Hlookup function:
- Select your data and sort it in ascending order. This step may not be necessary as you will see in the training video but can be useful for the beginner.
- Then type ‘=HLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array,row_index_num,range_lookup)’. Lookup_value is the value to be found in the first row of the table. Lookup_value can be a value, a reference, or a text string. Table_array is a table of information in which data is looked up. You can use a reference to a range or a range name. The values in the first row of table_array can be text, numbers, or logical values. If range_lookup parameter is set to TRUE, the values in the first row of table_array must be placed in ascending order: else HLOOKUP may not give the correct value. If range_lookup is FALSE, table_array need to be sorted. Uppercase and lowercase text are equivalent. Row_index_num is the row number in table_array from which the matching value will be returned. A row_index_num of 1 returns the first row value in table_array, a row_index_num of 2 returns the second row value in table_array, and so on. If row_index_num is less than 1, HLOOKUP returns the #VALUE! error value; if row_index_num is greater than the number of rows on table_array, HLOOKUP returns the #REF! error value. Range_lookup is a logical or boolean value that specifies whether you want HLOOKUP to find an exact match or an approximate match. If TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is returned. In other words, if an exact match is not found, the next largest value that is less than lookup_value is returned. If FALSE, HLOOKUP will find an exact match. If one is not found, the error value #N/A is returned.
- If HLOOKUP can’t find lookup_value, and range_lookup is TRUE, it uses the largest value that is less than lookup_value.
- If lookup_value is smaller than the smallest value in the first row of table_array, HLOOKUP returns the #N/A error value.
- If range_lookup is FALSE and lookup_value is text, you can use the wildcard characters, question mark (?) and asterisk (*), in lookup_value. A question mark matches any single character; an asterisk matches any sequence of characters. If you want to find an actual question mark or asterisk, type a tilde (~) before the character.
- Watch the Excel training video below to see how HLOOKUP is implemented
MS Excel: HLOOKUP Function (WS)
Excel HLOOKUP Function