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Excel

Excel Lookup Decision Guide: INDEX + MATCH vs XLOOKUP vs VLOOKUP

Excel offers multiple ways to look up data, and choosing the right one can dramatically affect performance, flexibility, and maintainability.

Overview of Lookup Options

  • VLOOKUP: simple but limited
  • INDEX + MATCH: flexible and powerful
  • XLOOKUP: modern and readable

INDEX + MATCH Example

Classic INDEX + MATCH lookup

=INDEX(B:B, MATCH(E1, A:A, 0))