How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel
How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel - There are a lot of affordable templates out there, but it can be easy to feel like a lot of the best cost a amount of money, require best special design template. Making the best template format choice is way to your template success. And if at this time you are looking for information and ideas regarding the How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel then, you are in the perfect place. Get this How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel for free here. We hope this post How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel inspired you and help you what you are looking for.
“`html
Excel’s INDEX and MATCH functions, when combined, provide a powerful alternative to VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP, offering more flexibility and overcoming some of their limitations. This combination enables a two-way lookup, allowing you to retrieve data based on both row and column criteria. This approach is particularly useful when the columns you need to retrieve might not be in a fixed position or when you want to create a more robust and adaptable lookup formula.
Understanding the Individual Functions
MATCH Function
The MATCH function searches for a specified value within a range of cells and returns the relative position of that value within the range. It doesn’t return the value itself, but rather its location. Its syntax is:
MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])lookup_value: The value you are trying to find.lookup_array: The range of cells where you want to search for thelookup_value.match_type(optional): Specifies howMATCHsearches for thelookup_value.0(exact match): Finds the first value that is exactly equal to thelookup_value. This is the most commonly used option for two-way lookups.1(less than): Finds the largest value that is less than or equal to thelookup_value. Thelookup_arraymust be sorted in ascending order.-1(greater than): Finds the smallest value that is greater than or equal to thelookup_value. Thelookup_arraymust be sorted in descending order.
Example: If cells A1:A5 contain “Apple”, “Banana”, “Cherry”, “Date”, “Fig”, and you use the formula =MATCH("Cherry", A1:A5, 0), the result will be 3, because “Cherry” is the third item in the range A1:A5.
INDEX Function
The INDEX function returns the value of a cell at a specified row and column within a range. Its syntax is:
INDEX(array, row_num, [column_num])array: The range of cells you want to retrieve a value from.row_num: The row number within thearrayfrom which to return a value.column_num(optional): The column number within thearrayfrom which to return a value. If omitted,column_numdefaults to 1.
Example: If cells A1:C5 contain a table of data, and you use the formula =INDEX(A1:C5, 2, 3), the function will return the value found in the second row and third column of the range A1:C5.
Combining INDEX and MATCH for Two-Way Lookup
The power of INDEX and MATCH lies in their ability to be used together. You can use MATCH to dynamically determine the row_num and/or column_num arguments for the INDEX function. This allows you to look up a value based on criteria for both rows and columns.
Here’s the general structure of the two-way lookup formula:
=INDEX(data_array, MATCH(row_lookup_value, row_lookup_array, 0), MATCH(column_lookup_value, column_lookup_array, 0))data_array: The entire range of cells containing the data you want to retrieve. This is the range from whichINDEXwill return a value.row_lookup_value: The value you want to match in the row lookup array. This determines which row to retrieve data from.row_lookup_array: The range of cells containing the values you want to match therow_lookup_valueagainst (typically the first column of your data).column_lookup_value: The value you want to match in the column lookup array. This determines which column to retrieve data from.column_lookup_array: The range of cells containing the values you want to match thecolumn_lookup_valueagainst (typically the first row of your data).0(in bothMATCHfunctions): Ensures an exact match.
Example Scenario
Imagine you have a table of sales data, with months in the rows (January, February, March…) and product categories in the columns (Electronics, Clothing, Home Goods…). You want to retrieve the sales figure for February in the Clothing category.
Let’s say your data is arranged as follows:
| Electronics | Clothing | Home Goods | |
|---|---|---|---|
| January | 1000 | 500 | 750 |
| February | 1200 | 600 | 800 |
| March | 1500 | 700 | 900 |
If the data is in the range A1:D4 (including headers), your formula would be:
=INDEX(B2:D4, MATCH("February", A2:A4, 0), MATCH("Clothing", B1:D1, 0))Explanation:
B2:D4: This is thedata_array– the range containing the sales figures (excluding row and column headers).MATCH("February", A2:A4, 0): This finds the position of “February” in the range A2:A4 (the months column). It returns 1 because “February” is the first item in that range. This becomes therow_numargument forINDEX.MATCH("Clothing", B1:D1, 0): This finds the position of “Clothing” in the range B1:D1 (the product categories row). It returns 2 because “Clothing” is the second item in that range. This becomes thecolumn_numargument forINDEX.INDEX(B2:D4, 1, 2): This returns the value from the first row and second column of the range B2:D4, which is 600.
Advantages over VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP
- Flexibility: Unlike
VLOOKUP,INDEXandMATCHare not dependent on the lookup column being the leftmost column. Your lookup columns and rows can be anywhere within the data range. - Column Insertion/Deletion: If you insert or delete columns in your data,
VLOOKUPformulas can break if the column index changes.INDEXandMATCHare more robust because they use relative positions, not hardcoded column numbers. - Readability: While the formula might look a bit longer, many find
INDEXandMATCHto be more readable and easier to understand once you grasp the concept. It clearly separates the lookup of the row and the column.
Tips and Best Practices
- Ensure Exact Matches: Always use
0as thematch_typein theMATCHfunction for exact matches in two-way lookups. - Absolute References: Use absolute cell references (e.g.,
$A$1:$A$10) for thedata_array,row_lookup_array, andcolumn_lookup_arrayif you plan to copy the formula to other cells. This will prevent the ranges from shifting. - Error Handling: Wrap the formula in an
IFERRORfunction to handle cases where thelookup_valueis not found. For example:=IFERROR(INDEX(B2:D4, MATCH("February", A2:A4, 0), MATCH("Clothing", B1:D1, 0)), "Not Found"). This will display “Not Found” if either “February” or “Clothing” are not found in their respective lookup ranges. - Named Ranges: Use named ranges to make the formula even more readable and easier to maintain. For instance, you could name
B2:D4as “SalesData”,A2:A4as “Months”, andB1:D1as “Categories”. The formula would then become:=INDEX(SalesData, MATCH("February", Months, 0), MATCH("Clothing", Categories, 0)).
By mastering the combination of INDEX and MATCH, you can significantly enhance your Excel skills and perform more sophisticated and reliable data lookups.
“`
700×400 excel formula lookup index match exceljet from exceljet.net 
1280×720 excel tutorial lookup index match approximate from exceljet.net 
873×435 index match match excel dimension lookup from exceloffthegrid.com 
344×430 excel multiple criteria lookup index match filter from www.contextures.com 
539×446 perform lookup excel vlookup match from excelchamps.com 
624×395 lookup formula excel index match teachexcelcom from www.teachexcel.com 
1280×720 excel tutorial lookup index match from exceljet.net 
700×325 index match exceljet from exceljet.net 
600×315 lookup excel step step tutorial from www.excel-easy.com 
1341×407 excel functions lookup from bettersolutions.com 
663×212 vlookup index match examples excel from www.vertex42.com 
768×720 index match multiple matches excel methods exceldemy from www.exceldemy.com 
400×232 lookup microsoft excel from www.exceltip.com How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel was posted in July 7, 2025 at 10:06 pm. If you wanna have it as yours, please click the Pictures and you will go to click right mouse then Save Image As and Click Save and download the How To Use Match And Index For Two-way Lookup In Excel Picture.. Don’t forget to share this picture with others via Facebook, Twitter, Pinterest or other social medias! we do hope you'll get inspired by ExcelKayra... Thanks again! If you have any DMCA issues on this post, please contact us!