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How to combine VLOOKUP with IF in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:VLOOKUPExcel & Google Sheets
=IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,$C$2:$D$5,2,FALSE)),"Not found",VLOOKUP(A2,$C$2:$D$5,2,FALSE))Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Identify your lookup value (e.g. A2), your lookup table (e.g. C2:D10), the column index (2 for the second column), and whether you need exact match (FALSE).
- 2Wrap the VLOOKUP in ISNA to check if it returns #N/A: =ISNA(VLOOKUP(A2,$C$2:$D$10,2,FALSE)).
- 3Place the ISNA check inside IF: =IF(ISNA(VLOOKUP(...)),"Not found",VLOOKUP(...)) — the first argument tests for errors, the second is the fallback, the third is the successful result.
Tips
- In Excel 2019+ and Google Sheets you can simplify this with IFERROR: =IFERROR(VLOOKUP(A2,$C$2:$D$10,2,FALSE),"Not found") achieves the same result with less code.
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Frequently asked
Can I use IF to apply logic to the VLOOKUP result rather than just handle errors?
Yes. For example, =IF(VLOOKUP(A2,$C$2:$D$10,2,FALSE)>100,"High","Low") looks up a value and then categorizes it based on the returned number.
More on VLOOKUP
See all →Reference
VLOOKUP
Look up a value in the first column of a range and return a value from another column in the same row.
How-toHow to VLOOKUP from another sheet
Pull a value from a different tab with VLOOKUP by prefixing the range with the sheet name. Works in Excel and Google Sheets.
Error fixFix #N/A
Fix #N/A errors in VLOOKUP in Excel and Google Sheets — covers missing matches, extra spaces, data-type mismatches, and range mistakes.
How-toHow to VLOOKUP with multiple criteria
Look up a value that matches two or more conditions using INDEX/MATCH with joined keys. Works in Excel 365 and Google Sheets.
Error fixFix Wrong value
VLOOKUP returns an incorrect value in Excel and Google Sheets — fix wrong column index, approximate match mode, unsorted data, and duplicate lookup keys.
How-toHow to fix VLOOKUP returning #N/A
VLOOKUP shows #N/A when it can’t find a match. Here are the real causes — exact-match, spaces, text-vs-number — and how to fix each.