How do I get rid of #value error in Excel VLOOKUP?

Solution: Shorten the value, or use a combination of INDEX and MATCH functions as a workaround. This is an array formula. So either press ENTER (only if you have Microsoft 365) or CTRL+SHIFT+ENTER.

Table of Contents

Why am I getting #value in Excel VLOOKUP?

The #VALUE error is usually a sign that the formula containing the VLOOKUP function is incorrect in some way. In most cases, this is usually because of the cell you’re referencing as your search value. The maximum size of a VLOOKUP lookup value is 255 characters.

Why is VLOOKUP not working with dates?

From an Excel perspective, numbers are sometimes interpreted as text and dates are often interpreted as numbers. Because of this confusion, popular functions, like VLOOKUP, or formatting instructions fail to return the expected results.

How do I fix the range in a VLOOKUP formula?

Solution: Change the VLOOKUP function to look for an exact match. To do that, set the range_lookup argument to FALSE. No sorting is necessary for FALSE.

Why VLOOKUP formula is not working?

A new column was inserted or removed from the table. Regrettably, VLOOKUP formulas stop working every time when a new column is deleted from or added to the lookup table. This happens because the syntax of the VLOOKUP function requires defining the index number of the return column.

How do you do a VLOOKUP with a date range?

3. VLOOKUP Date Range with Multiple Criteria and Return Multiple Values

Step 01: Specifying the Start and End Dates. Initially, you have to specify the Start Date and End Date.
Step 02: Dealing with the Multiple Criteria of the Date Range.
Step 03: Counting the Lookup Value.
Step 04: Returning Multiple Values.

How do I format a date in VLOOKUP?

Right click->format cells, go to Number tab and select date from the drop-down and choose the required date format, data will be converted to date format.

What are the two main causes of errors for VLOOKUP?

There could be some reasons why VLOOKUP returns this error.

Extra Spaces in Lookup Value.
Typo mistake in Lookup_Value.
Numeric values are formatted as Text.
Lookup Value not in First column of table array.

What does #value mean in Excel?

#VALUE is Excel’s way of saying, “There’s something wrong with the way your formula is typed.

Does VLOOKUP work with time?

Perform a lookup on dates and times in Excel: vlookup, hlookup, index/match, any kind of lookup. This tutorial shows you how to accurately use a lookup function on dates/times. This is important because time can be very tricky in Excel and sometimes you get positive results mixed-in with hidden negative results.

How do you reference a date range in Excel?

Click a cell in a spreadsheet, then click the “Home” tab’s “Short date” item in the “Numbers” panel.
Type the starting date of your range.
Click the cell immediately to the right of your start date, then type the number of days you want for your date range.

How do I do a VLOOKUP and keep formatting?

Copy source formatting when using Vlookup in Excel with a User-defined function

In the worksheet contains the value you want to vlookup, right-click the sheet tab and select View Code from the context menu.
In the opening Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, please copy below VBA code into the Code window.

What are the common errors in VLOOKUP?

Here are the top five mistakes made by VLOOKUP rookies.

Not Having Lookup_Value in First Column of Your Table Array.
Counting the Wrong Number of Columns for Col_index_num.
[Range_Lookup] Not Using FALSE for Exact Matching.
Forgetting Absolute References (F4) When Copying the Formula.
Extra Spaces or Characters.