How to use VLOOKUP with a wildcard in Excel and Google Sheets

Excel & Google Sheets

=VLOOKUP("*"&A2&"*",$C$2:$D$5,2,FALSE)

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1Identify the partial text to search for, e.g. the word in A2.
2Build the wildcard pattern by surrounding the search term with asterisks: "*"&A2&"*" matches anywhere in the cell. Use A2&"*" to match only at the start.
3Write the full formula: =VLOOKUP("*"&A2&"*",$C$2:$D$100,2,FALSE). The fourth argument must be FALSE (exact match) for wildcards to work.

Use ? to match exactly one character (e.g. "Sm?th" matches Smith or Smyth) and * to match zero or more characters. Wildcards do not work with match_type TRUE (approximate match).

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VLOOKUP returns only the first match it finds from the top of the table. If you need all matches, use FILTER or a helper column with SEARCH.

Written and reviewed by FormulaCraft Team. Each formula on this page is run through our verification engine before publishing.

Last reviewed: May 28, 2026