what is hlookup in excel

what is hlookup in excel

HLOOKUP is a function in Microsoft Excel that stands for Horizontal Lookup. It is used to search for a value in the top row of a table and return a corresponding value in the same column from a row that you specify.

The syntax of the HLOOKUP function is as follows:

=HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])

Here's what each argument means:

• lookup_value: The value that you want to find in the top row of the table.

• table_array: The range of cells that contains the table. The first row of the table must contain the lookup value.

• row_index_num: The row number within the table from which you want to return a value. The first row of the table is 1.

• range_lookup (optional): A logical value that specifies whether you want an exact match or an approximate match. If TRUE or omitted, an approximate match is used. If FALSE, an exact match is used.

Here's an example of how to use the HLOOKUP function. Let's say you have a table that shows the sales figures for different products in different regions, like this:

       A         B         C         D

1  Product   Region 1  Region 2  Region 3

2    A        100       200       300

3    B        150       250       350

4    C        200       300       400

=HLOOKUP("B", A1:D4, 3, FALSE)

In this example, "B" is the lookup value, A1:D4 is the table array, 3 is the row index number (corresponding to Region 2), and FALSE specifies that an exact match should be used. The function will return the value 250, which is the sales figure for product B in Region 2.

Overall, the HLOOKUP function is a useful tool in Excel for finding and retrieving data from tables that are organized horizontally. It can save you time and effort by automating the process of searching for specific values and returning corresponding values from other cells.

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