In this tutorial, you will learn how to match two columns and return a third in Excel.
In Excel, you might frequently want to compare the numbers in two columns and output a third column. Fortunately, using the VLOOKUP() function makes this simple.
Once ready, we’ll get started by utilizing real-world examples to show you how to match two columns and return a third in Excel.
Table of Contents
What is VLOOKUP
=VLOOKUP([value], [range], [column number], [false or true])
| Argument | Description |
| lookup_value | The key value to look for |
| lookup_array | the range or array to search |
| [column number] | The range or array to return |
| [false or true] | If the value you’re seeking for exactly matches, the result will be 0 or FALSE; if not, it will be 1, or TRUE. |
Match Two Columns and Return a Third in Excel
Before we begin we will need a group of data to match two columns and return a third in Excel.
Step 1
First, you need to have a clean and tidy group of data to work with. In this example, you can use the VLOOKUP function to look for the description for Apple.
Step 2
To find the description for ‘Apple’, you can put this formula =VLOOKUP(D2,A2:B6,2,FALSE).
Step 3
Once you press enter, your formula will return something like this.
