In Excel: use =INDEX(return_range, MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_range, 0)) — MATCH finds the row number of the lookup value and INDEX returns the value in that row from any column, left or right.
Syntax
Arguments
| Argument | Description | |
|---|---|---|
return_range | required | The column you want a value returned from. |
lookup_value | required | The value MATCH searches for. |
lookup_range | required | The column MATCH searches through for the lookup value. |
match_type | optional | 0 for an exact match (embedded as the third argument of MATCH); 1 or -1 for approximate. |
Related functions
Decide the return_range — the column you want the answer from — and start with =INDEX(that range,.
Inside INDEX, open MATCH( and click the cell holding the value to find.
Select the column to search through as the second MATCH argument.
Type 0 as the third MATCH argument to force an exact match, then close both brackets.
Press Enter and fill the formula down; lock ranges with $ if you will copy it.
What this does
INDEX/MATCH pairs two functions to do a lookup that VLOOKUP cannot: MATCH returns the position of the lookup value within a column, and INDEX returns the cell at that position in whatever column you choose. Because the search column and the return column are independent, it can look to the left and it survives inserted or moved columns that would break a VLOOKUP col_index_num. Most people learn this as a sequence of clicks and forget it by next week; learning it as a pattern instead is what lets you apply it to the next, slightly different version of the problem without starting from scratch. That is the difference this page is trying to make. The difference between a quick fix and a sheet you can trust is the extra minute you spend validating “use index match in excel”. Start on a copy or a tiny sample, keep the affected cells visible, and compare the result with the tool above before you touch the real workbook. When a formula is involved, keep the inputs labelled beside it, reference cells instead of typing values, and apply number formatting only after the result checks out. The point is a data step that keeps your analysis trustworthy, but the practical win is that someone else can open the file and understand what happened without asking you.
A worked example
Names are in column C (C2:C100) and IDs in column A (A2:A100). To return the ID for the name in E2 — a value to the LEFT, which VLOOKUP cannot do: =INDEX(A2:A100, MATCH(E2, C2:C100, 0)). MATCH finds "Maria" in row 7 of the range and INDEX returns the ID in A8, for example 1042. INDEX/MATCH is the durable lookup professionals reach for when data is wide or volatile: it looks in any direction and does not break when columns shift. If there is any chance you will reuse this, drop it into a small template tab right now: a labelled input area on the left and the formula beside it, checked once against the tool above. Next time the same question comes up, the answer is a single paste away instead of a rebuild from memory.
In Google Sheets
Google Sheets handles this almost identically to Excel. The formula syntax above is the same, and the menu lives under a slightly different label rather than a ribbon tab. Use the platform toggle at the top of the page to switch every keyboard shortcut between Windows and Mac, and expect at most cosmetic differences in naming. The aim was to get you unstuck fast and leave you a little more capable than a copy-paste would. The answer is at the top, the tool proves it, and the detail above shows why it holds — so the next time a colleague asks, you can answer without reaching for search. Treat “use index match in excel” as a small building block rather than a chore. Once the inputs sit in their own cells and the formula reads from them, the same setup answers a dozen related questions with a tweak, and Excel keeps every dependent figure current as the data changes. The tool above is there so you can rehearse and verify before committing anything to a real workbook; the steps and worked example are there so the logic sticks. Get it right once and it stops costing you time — it starts saving it, every time the question comes back around.
Common mistakes
- Giving
INDEXandMATCHranges of different heights, so the row number fromMATCHpoints at the wrong cell. - Forgetting the 0 in
MATCH, which switches it to an approximate match and can return a wrong row. - Selecting the whole table for
INDEXinstead of a single return column, which forces a needless extra column-number argument.
Frequently asked questions
Why use INDEX/MATCH instead of VLOOKUP?
INDEX/MATCH can return columns to the left of the lookup column, and it keeps working when you insert or move columns because it references columns directly rather than by a counted index number.
What does the 0 in MATCH mean?
It requests an exact match. Without it, or with 1, MATCH does an approximate match that needs sorted data and can silently return the wrong position, so include 0 for normal lookups.
Is INDEX/MATCH faster than VLOOKUP?
On large sheets it can be, because it only scans the lookup column and the return column rather than the whole table array, though XLOOKUP is simpler still if your Excel version supports it.
Other ways people ask this
People reach this page typing “excel index match formula”, “excel formula index match”, “excel match index formula” and “index match formula in excel with example”, among other phrasings; whichever wording you used, the fix above is the one you want.
This guide also answers
- how to use index and match in excel
Why do people search for this in so many different ways?
Because the same task has many names. “excel index match formula”, “excel formula index match”, “excel match index formula” all point at the one operation explained on this page, which is why they all lead here.