Oops Something Went Wrong Please Try Again Validate Sheet
Is your VLOOKUP pulling wrong data or yous cannot get information technology to work at all? This tutorial shows how you can chop-chop gear up mutual VLOOKUP errors and overcome its primary limitations.
In a few earlier manufactures, we explored different aspects of the Excel VLOOKUP part. If you have been following us closely, by now yous should exist an adept in this expanse :)
Notwithstanding, information technology's non without reason that many Excel specialists consider VLOOKUP to be i of the most intricate Excel functions. It has a ton of limitations, which are the source of various problems and errors.
In this article, you volition observe uncomplicated explanations of the chief causes of VLOOKUP errors such as #North/A, #NAME and #VALUE, as well as their solutions and fixes. We will outset with the virtually obvious reasons why VLOOKUP is not working, then it might be a good thought to check out the beneath troubleshooting steps in order.
Fixing #Northward/A fault in VLOOKUP
In VLOOKUP formulas, the #Northward/A mistake message (meaning "not available") is displayed when Excel cannot find a lookup value. At that place can exist several reasons why that may happen.
ane. The lookup value is misspelt
It'due south always a expert thought to check the most obvious matter first : ) Misprints ofttimes occur when y'all are working with actually large data sets consisting of thousands of rows, or when a lookup value is typed direct in the formula.
2. #N/A in gauge lucifer VLOOKUP
If your formula looks up the closest match, (range_lookup argument set to TRUE or omitted), the #Due north/A mistake tin appear in two cases:
- The lookup value is smaller than the smallest value in the lookup array.
- The lookup column is not sorted in ascending order.
3. #N/A in verbal friction match VLOOKUP
If you are searching for exact lucifer (range_lookup argument set up to FALSE), the #N/A error occurs when a value exactly equal to the lookup value is not institute. For more data, come across VLOOKUP exact match vs. approximate match.
four. The lookup column is non the leftmost column of the table array
One of the nearly pregnant limitations of Excel VLOOKUP is that it cannot look to its left. Consequently, a lookup column should e'er be the leftmost column in the table assortment. In practice, we often forget about this and finish up with #N/A errors.
Solution: If it is not possible to restructure your data and then that the lookup column is the left-most column, you can use the Alphabetize and Friction match functions together equally an alternative to VLOOKUP. Hither's a formula example: INDEX MATCH formula to look up values to left.
5. Numbers are formatted as text
Another common source #Due north/A errors in VLOOKUP formulas is numbers formatted as text, either in the primary or lookup table.
This usually occurs when you import data from some external database or if you've typed an apostrophe before a number to show leading zeros.
Here are the most obvious indicators of numbers formatted as text:
Solution: Select all the problematic numbers, click on the error icon and choose Convert to Number from the context menu. For more data, delight run across How to convert text to number in Excel.
6. Leading or abaft spaces
This is the to the lowest degree obvious crusade of the VLOOKUP #N/A error because a human eye can hardly spot those actress spaces, specially when working with large datasets where most of the entries are below the curl.
Solution 1: Extra spaces in the lookup value
To ensure the right work of your VLOOKUP formula, wrap the lookup value in the TRIM role:
=VLOOKUP(TRIM(E1), A2:C10, two, FALSE)
Solution 2: Actress spaces in the lookup cavalcade
If extra spaces occur in the lookup cavalcade, there is no easy mode to avoid #N/A errors in VLOOKUP. Instead, you can employ a combination of INDEX, Lucifer and TRIM functions as an array formula:
=INDEX(B2:B10, MATCH(TRUE, TRIM(A$two:A$10)=TRIM(E1), 0))
Since this is an assortment formula, don't forget to press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to properly consummate it (in Excel 365 and Excel 2021, due to support for dynamic arrays, this also works equally a regular formula).
Tip. A quick alternative is running the Trim Spaces tool that volition eliminate excess spaces both in the lookup and chief tables in seconds, making your VLOOKUP formulas error-free.
#VALUE! error in VLOOKUP formulas
In general, Microsoft Excel displays the #VALUE! error if a value used in the formula is of a incorrect data type. In respect to VLOOKUP, there are ii common sources of the VALUE! error.
1. Lookup value exceeds 255 characters
Delight be aware that VLOOKUP cannot look up values containing more than 255 characters. If your lookup values exceed this limit, a #VALUE! fault volition be displayed:
Solution: Utilise an Index MATCH formula instead. In our case, this formula works perfectly:
=Index(B2:B7, Lucifer(TRUE, Index(A2:A7= E1, 0), 0))
2. Total path to the lookup workbook is not supplied
If you are pulling information from another workbook, y'all accept to include the total path to it. More precisely, yous accept to enclose the workbook's proper noun including the extension in [foursquare brackets] and specify the canvass'southward proper noun followed by the exclamation mark. If the workbook name or canvas name, or both, comprise spaces or any not-alphabetical characters, the path must be enclosed in unmarried quotation marks.
Here's the structure of the table_array argument to Vlookup from another workbook:
'[workbook name]canvas name'!range
A real formula might look similar to this:
=VLOOKUP($A$2,'[New Prices.xls]Sheet1'!$B:$D, 3, FALSE)
The in a higher place formula will search for the value of A2 in column B of Sheet1 in the New Prices workbook, and return a matching value from column D.
If whatsoever element of the path is missing, your VLOOKUP formula won't piece of work and return the #VALUE error (unless the lookup workbook is currently open).
For more data, please see:
- How to refer to another canvass or workbook in Excel
- How to do Vlookup from a different workbook
3. The col_index_num statement is less than 1
Information technology's hard to imagine a situation when someone intentionally enter a number less than 1 to specify the column to return values from. But information technology may happen if this argument is returned by another function nested in your VLOOKUP formula.
So, if the col_index_num statement is than one, your formula will return the #VALUE! mistake too.
If col_index_num is greater than the number of the columns in the table array, VLOOKUP produces the #REF! mistake.
Solving VLOOKUP #Proper noun error
This is the easiest case - the #NAME? error appears if you've accidentally misspelled the function's name.
The solution is obvious - bank check the spelling :)
The main causes of errors in Excel VLOOKUP
Apart from having a fairly complicated syntax, VLOOKUP has arguably more limitations than any other Excel office. Because of these limitations, a seemingly correct formula may oft deliver results dissimilar from what yous expected. Below you lot will observe solutions for a few typical scenarios when VLOOKUP fails.
VLOOKUP is case-insensitive
The VLOOKUP function does not distinguish the letter case and teats lowercase and uppercase characters as identical.
Solution: Use VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP or Index MATCH in combination with the Exact role that can match text case. Y'all can find the detailed explanations and formula examples in this tutorial: v ways to practice a case-sensitive Vlookup in Excel.
A new column was inserted or removed from the tabular array
Regrettably, VLOOKUP formulas stop working every fourth dimension when a new column is deleted from or added to the lookup tabular array. This happens because the syntax of the VLOOKUP function requires defining the alphabetize number of the return column. When a new cavalcade is added to/removed from the table assortment, apparently that alphabetize number changes.
Solution: The INDEX MATCH formula comes to the rescue again : ) With INDEX Friction match, you specify the lookup and return ranges separately, so you are free to delete or insert as many columns as you want without worrying virtually updating every associated formula.
Cell references change when copying the formula to other cells
The heading gives an exhaustive explanation of the problem, right?
Solution: Always apply absolute references (with the $ sign) for the table_array argument, e.yard. $A$2:$C$100 or $A:$C. You lot can chop-chop switch between unlike reference types by pressing the F4 key.
VLOOKUP returns the first found value
Equally you already know, Excel VLOOKUP returns the get-go value it finds. Nevertheless, you tin force it to bring the 2nd, 3rd, 4thursday or whatever other occurrence you lot want. There is also a way to go the concluding match or all found matches.
Solutions: Formula examples are bachelor here:
- VLOOKUP and return Nth occurrence
- VLOOKUP multiple values
- XLOOKUP formula to get the last friction match
Why does my VLOOKUP work for some cells but not others?
When your VLOOKUP formula returns the right data I some cells and #N/A errors in others, there can be a few possible reasons why that happens.
1. The table array is not locked
Suppose you have this formula in row ii (say in E2), which works nicely:
=VLOOKUP(D2, A2:B10, two, False)
When copied to row 3, the formula changes to:
=VLOOKUP(D3, A3:B11, two, False)
Because a relative reference is used for table_array, it changes based on the relative position of the row where the formula is copied, in our case from A2:B10 to A3:B11. Then, if the lucifer is in row ii, it won't be found!
Solution: When using a VLOOKUP formula for more than than one cell, always lock the table array reference with the $ sign like $A$two:$B$10.
2. Text values or data types do non match
Another common reason for VLOOKUP failure is the divergence betwixt your lookup value and a similar value in the lookup column. In some cases, the difference is so subtle that it's hard to spot visually.
Solution: When VLOOKUP is returning an #Northward/A error while you lot can clearly see the lookup value in the lookup cavalcade, and apparently both are spelt exactly the same, the get-go thing you need to practise is to determine the root cause of the problem - the formula or the source information.
To see whether the two values are the same or different, make a direct comparison in this way:
=E1=A4
Where E1 is your lookup value and A4 is an identical value in the lookup column.
If the formula returns Simulated, that means the values differ in some manner, though they wait admittedly akin.
In case of numeric values, the most possible reason is numbers formatted equally text.
In example of text values, nigh probable the problem is in excess spaces. To verify this, find out the total length of the two strings using the LEN role:
=LEN(E1)
=LEN(A4)
If the resulting numbers are different (like in the screenshot below), then you've pinpointed the culprit - extra spaces:
To solve the issue, either remove extra spaces or use this Alphabetize MATCH TRIM formula as a workaround.
Why does my VLOOKUP pull incorrect information?
There could be even more than reasons why your VLOOKUP returns a wrong value:
- Incorrect search mode. If you want an verbal match, exist sure to set the range_lookup argument to Fake. The default is True, so if you omit this argument, VLOOKUP volition assume you are looking for an approximate match and search for the closest value that is smaller than the lookup value.
- The lookup column is non sorted. For approximate match VLOOKUP (range_lookup prepare to TRUE) to work correctly, the first cavalcade in the tabular array array must be sorted in ascending order, from smallest to largest.
- Duplicates in the lookup cavalcade. If the lookup column contains two or more duplicate values, VLOOKUP will render the beginning found match, which may not be the ane you wait.
- Wrong return cavalcade. Double-check the alphabetize number in the 3rd argument :)
VLOOKUP not working between two sheets
Kickoff off, it should be noted that the common reasons of #Due north/A, #VALUE, and #REF errors discussed above may cause the aforementioned issues when looking upwardly from another sail. If it's non the case, cheque out the post-obit points:
- Make certain the external reference to some other sheet or a different workbook is correct.
- When doing a Vlookup from another workbook which is closed at the moment, verify that your formula contains the full path to the airtight workbook.
- If VLOOKUP cannot choice a table array in another worksheet (i.e. when you highlight a range in the lookup sheet, aught appears in the table_array argument in the formula or in the respective box of the formula wizard), then most likely the two sheets are open up in separate instances of Excel and cannot communicate with each other. For more than info, please see How to decide which Excel files are in which example. To fix this, simply close all Excel windows, and then reopen the sheets/workbooks in the same example (the default behavior).
How to Vlookup without errors in Excel
If you do not desire to intimidate your users with standard Excel mistake notations, you can display your own user-friendly text instead or return a bare cell if nothing is found. This can exist done by using VLOOKUP with IFERROR or IFNA part.
Grab all errors
In Excel 2007 and later, you can use the IFERROR function to check a VLOOKUP formula for errors and return your own text (or an empty string) if any error is detected.
For example:
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, two, Simulated), "Oops, something went wrong")
In Excel 2003 and earlier, yous can use the IF ISERROR formula for the same purpose:
=IF(ISERROR(VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, 2, FALSE)), "Oops, something went wrong", VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, 2, Imitation))
For more details, please see Using IFERROR with VLOOKUP in Excel.
Handle #North/A errors
To trap but #N/A errors ignoring all other error types, use the IFNA function (in Excel 2013 and higher) or IF ISNA formula (in all versions).
For example:
=IFNA(VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, 2, FALSE), "Oops, no match is found. Please try once again!")
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, two, Simulated)), "Oops, no match is establish. Delight endeavour again!", VLOOKUP(E1, A2:B10, two, False))
That'southward all for today. Hopefully, this tutorial will help you get rid of VLOOKUP errors and take your formulas working in the mode you want.
How to VLOOKUP in Excel - video tutorial
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Source: https://www.ablebits.com/office-addins-blog/excel-vlookup-not-working/
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