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How to Use VLOOKUP Exact Match (FALSE) in Excel

By , Excel & Data Analytics trainer LinkedIn Published: Last updated:

Read this guide in: English · मराठी · हिंदी

VLOOKUP with FALSE (exact match) finds a value in the leftmost column of a table and returns a value from a column to its right — only when the key matches exactly.

Chala mitrano! Shop list madhe Product ID lihila, price hava aahe. VLOOKUP + FALSE = exact match. Why? Approximate match can grab the wrong row on unsorted IDs. How? Tiny Mumbai/Pune kirana sheet, before/after tables, then the formula. Stay with me.

Quick answer

Vertical steps:

  1. Put the Product ID (lookup value) in a cell.
  2. Select the result cell.
  3. Type =VLOOKUP(lookup_cell, table_array, col_index, FALSE).
  4. table_array must have the ID in its first column.
  5. col_index is 2 if price is the second column of that block.
  6. Press Enter — exact match only; missing ID → #N/A.
=VLOOKUP(E2, A2:B6, 2, FALSE)

Language: English · मराठी · हिंदी

Before and after (look at the tables first)

Product ID Price (₹)
P101 40
P102 25
P103 60

You type P102 in E2. After VLOOKUP exact match, F2 shows 25.

Before VLOOKUP exact match Three products with prices before lookup.

Before

After VLOOKUP exact match Exact match returns price 25 for P102.

After

Why VLOOKUP with FALSE?

  1. Product IDs and city names need exact matches.
  2. TRUE (approximate) is for sorted slabs — wrong tool for IDs.
  3. FALSE (or 0) tells Excel: only return when the key matches perfectly.

What is VLOOKUP?

VLOOKUP = Vertical LOOKUP. It walks down the first column of a range until it finds your key, then steps across to the column number you asked for.

Formula parts (tiny)

=VLOOKUP(E2, A2:B6, 2, FALSE)
  1. E2 — what to find (Product ID).
  2. A2:B6 — table; IDs in column A, prices in column B.
  3. 2 — return the 2nd column of that table (Price).
  4. FALSE — exact match.

What happens when you write it (tiny numbers)

Suppose we are looking at a Pune kirana price list:

Product ID Price
P101 40
P102 25
P103 60
  1. Excel reads E2 = P102.
  2. It scans A2:A6 for P102.
  3. It finds row of P102.
  4. It returns column 2 of that row → 25.
  5. If E2 were P199 (missing) → #N/A.

Vertical practice steps

  1. Type the table in A1:B4 (headers + three products).
  2. In E1 type Product ID, in E2 type P102.
  3. In F1 type Price.
  4. In F2 enter =VLOOKUP(E2,A2:B4,2,FALSE).
  5. Change E2 to P101 → result 40.
  6. Change E2 to P999 → #N/A (expected).

Common mistakes

Symptom Likely cause Fix
#N/A ID missing / typo / extra space Fix the key; TRIM if needed
Wrong price TRUE instead of FALSE Use FALSE
#REF! col_index bigger than table width Use 2 for a two-column table
Wrong row forever Key not in leftmost column Rebuild table or use INDEX+MATCH / XLOOKUP

Ravindra Bagale's Tip

Beginners paste VLOOKUP with TRUE by habit from old notes. For product codes, city names and phone-plan codes — always FALSE. Bilkul visru naka: exact match first, approximate later for fee slabs.

Practice task

  1. Build a five-row product list (ID + Price).
  2. Lookup three IDs with VLOOKUP + FALSE.
  3. Force one #N/A on purpose, then fix the ID.
  4. Write one line in your notes: what FALSE does.

Learn it properly

Course lesson:

Related guides: XLOOKUP for beginners · INDEX + MATCH · IF function

Samajla ka? VLOOKUP + FALSE = exact key in the left column, value from a column to the right. Missing key → #N/A. Aata pudhe XLOOKUP try kara.

Frequently asked questions

What does FALSE mean in VLOOKUP?

FALSE (or 0) means exact match only. Excel returns a value only when the lookup key matches a cell in the first column of the table array.

What is the VLOOKUP formula shape?

VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num, [range_lookup]). For beginners always use FALSE as the last argument.

Why do I get #N/A?

Usually the ID is missing, misspelled, has extra spaces, or the key is not in the leftmost column of the table array.

Can VLOOKUP look to the left?

No. The return column must be to the right of the key column. Use INDEX+MATCH or XLOOKUP when you need left lookup.

Approximate match vs exact?

TRUE or 1 is approximate (sorted lists, slabs). For product IDs and city names use FALSE.

Where is this in the free Excel course?

Chapter 4 Lookup Functions — VLOOKUP with exact match. Linked at the end of this guide.