What is a vlookup in microsoft excel

VLOOKUP is a function in excel that allows searching through data to find information in a similar manner to a phone book. For example, if you have a name and which to know the assoicated number with that name, you could use the name as the known data in the function to find the number.

VLOOKUP(H2, B2:E64, 2, FALSE)

This is the exact formula to put in the cell. The first argument, H2, is the cell where the known data will go (in our example, the name). The second argument, B2:E64, is the range of columns and rows the function will search in (the whole phonebook in our example). The third argument, 2, tells the function which row to show (in our example, imagine the phone numbers are in row 2 of the selected data and the names are in row 1). Lastly, the false tells the function whether it should match what is typed exactly or not.