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How to VLOOKUP Between Two Sheets in Excel

Pull a matching value from another sheet by a shared key — with VLOOKUP, XLOOKUP, INDEX/MATCH, or no formula at all.

Last updated: August 2026

Sheet1: ID		Pulled from Sheet2
1001	→	Acme Corp
1002	→	Beta LLC

Method 1 — VLOOKUP

In Sheet1, next to your key, enter: =VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!A:D, 3, FALSE)
A2 is the key; Sheet2!A:D is the other table; 3 is which column to return; FALSE means exact match (always use it).
Copy down. Wrap in IFERROR(…, "") to blank the misses.

VLOOKUP only looks right of the key and breaks if you insert a column, so many people prefer the alternatives below.

Method 2 — XLOOKUP or INDEX/MATCH

XLOOKUP (newer Excel): =XLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!A:A, Sheet2!C:C) — no column counting, looks any direction.
INDEX/MATCH (any version): =INDEX(Sheet2!C:C, MATCH(A2, Sheet2!A:A, 0)).

The no-formula way — Tellsheet's Lookup Values

Click Lookup Values, pick your table and the reference table, match the key by column name, and choose which column to bring back. Matching ignores case and surrounding spaces — the usual causes of #N/A. No formula, no column counting, and a preview before it writes. (Getting #N/A from a real formula? Match Doctor tells you exactly why each key fails and repairs it.)

Frequently asked questions

Why does my VLOOKUP return #N/A between sheets?

Almost always the keys don't match exactly — trailing spaces, a number stored as text, or different capitalization. Clean the keys first, or use Tellsheet's Lookup Values (matches ignoring case/spaces) or Match Doctor to diagnose it.

What's better than VLOOKUP?

XLOOKUP and INDEX/MATCH are more flexible (look left, survive moved columns). For a no-formula option, Tellsheet's Lookup Values pulls a chosen column by matching a key.

Can I look up across two different workbooks?

Formulas can reference another open workbook, but the links break if it moves. Tellsheet lets you pick the second table by selecting it — no fragile external reference.

Related Excel guides

Look up values without the formula

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