VLOOKUP help needed

[mporres77]

I have a spreadsheet where I need a cell to look for a specific value in another tab and if it finds that value, to populate a cell with the description in the column specified.
I have used this formula before in a different spreadsheet and it worked great.

However, in this one it is not finding the value even though it is there.

This is the formula: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!A:D,'Sheet 1'!A:D,FALSE)),"",VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!A:D,'Sheet 1'!A:D,FALSE))

So basically, in Sheet 2, F12 has the formula, and it is supposed to look for the value that is in E12…find it in Sheet 1 and then populate F12 with whatever it finds in F5 of sheet 1.

Sorry but it won't let me attach the sheet

(Sheet 2)

Column B	C	D	E	F
Period	Year	Cat	Inv#	Description
2	2018		4706652	(Cell that has the formula)

<tbody>
</tbody>

(Sheet 1)

Column A	B	C	D	F
			Inv#	Description
			4706652	(Cell that has the information I need populated in sheet 2, F12)

<tbody>
</tbody>

 

[primuspaul]

I have a spreadsheet where I need a cell to look for a specific value in another tab and if it finds that value, to populate a cell with the description in the column specified.
I have used this formula before in a different spreadsheet and it worked great.

However, in this one it is not finding the value even though it is there.

This is the formula: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!A:D,'Sheet 1'!A:D,FALSE)),"",VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!A:D,'Sheet 1'!A:D,FALSE))

So basically, in Sheet 2, F12 has the formula, and it is supposed to look for the value that is in E12…find it in Sheet 1 and then populate F12 with whatever it finds in F5 of sheet 1.

Sorry but it won't let me attach the sheet

(Sheet 2)

Column B	C	D	E	F
Period	Year	Cat	Inv#	Description
2	2018		4706652	(Cell that has the formula)

<tbody>
</tbody>

(Sheet 1)

Column A	B	C	D	F
			Inv#	Description
			4706652	(Cell that has the information I need populated in sheet 2, F12)

<tbody>
</tbody>

Doesn't ISNA report TRUE or FALSE? Why are you asking it to check if ISNA is ""?

Also:

• Try to use tables.
• Use index(match()) instead of vlookup.

https://www.deskbright.com/excel/using-index-match/

 

[steve the fish]

You are misunderstanding VLOOKUP. You can only search a column for your lookup value. In this case it looks like column D and you want to return what is in column E so the 2nd column of the lookup range:

=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!D:E,2,FALSE)),"",VLOOKUP(E12,'Sheet 1'!D:E,2,FALSE))

 

[mporres77]

Thank you both. I am new to formulas so trying to learn. I appreciate your help.