Lookup & Referenceintermediate
VLOOKUP to match two columns
=VLOOKUP(A2,$F$2:$G$8,2,FALSE)
Excel how-to guide
How to index match two way in Excel
Find the price for a specific product and size from a pricing matrix, or retrieve a quarterly budget for a given department and quarter.
Step-by-step instructions
How to index match two way — 3 steps
1
Enter the data table range (without the row and column headers) as the first argument.
2
Use MATCH to find the row position — look up the row label in the header column.
3
Use a second MATCH to find the column position — look up the column label in the header row.
Example data
Worked example
| Product | Small | Medium | Large |
|---|---|---|---|
| Widget A | 10 | 15 | 20 |
| Widget B | 12 | 18 | 25 |
| Widget C | 8 | 13 | 19 |
Common mistakes
Errors to watch out for
MATCH returns
The lookup value does not exist in the header row or column. Check for extra spaces (use TRIM), mismatched case, or verify the lookup value is in the correct range.
Wrong range for the data body
The INDEX range must not include the header row or column — start it one cell inside the headers so row and column positions align correctly.
FAQ
Frequently asked questions
Why use INDEX/MATCH instead of VLOOKUP for two-way lookups?
VLOOKUP can only look up by row, not by column. INDEX/MATCH is the standard solution for intersection lookups because both MATCH calls work independently.
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Lookup & Referenceintermediate
XLOOKUP for the last matching value
=XLOOKUP(A2,$F$2:$F$20,$G$2:$G$20,"Not found",0,-1)