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INDEX + MATCH
A hard flexible lookup pattern that combines position matching with value retrieval.
Syntax
=INDEX + MATCH(...)Step-by-step explanation
- 1Find the value you want to look up and the table that contains the answer.
- 2Point the formula at the lookup range and the return range or position.
- 3Press Enter and confirm that Excel returns the matching record.
Common mistakes
Breaking the lookup and return ranges apart incorrectly
Using the wrong match mode
Forgetting that the formula is a pair, not a single function
Example table
A quick scenario to connect the syntax to the result.
| East | 120 |
| West | 155 |
| North | 130 |
Formula
=INDEX(B1:B3,MATCH("West",A1:A3,0))
Result
155
Worked example
- 1Locate the lookup value in the left column of the sample data.
- 2Use =INDEX(B1:B3,MATCH("West",A1:A3,0)) to search for that value and return the related result.
- 3The returned match should be 155.
Practice area
Use INDEX + MATCH when you need a lookup that stays flexible even if the return column changes.
Match against the syntax block above.