Mastering XLOOKUP in Excel – The Ultimate Modern Lookup Tool

XLOOKUP is the new and improved lookup formula in Excel. It replaces older formulas like VLOOKUP and HLOOKUP with a simpler and more powerful approach.

🔹 Syntax:

=XLOOKUP(lookup_value, lookup_array, return_array, [if_not_found], [match_mode], [search_mode])

🔹 Basic Example:

Search for a student’s marks by name:

=XLOOKUP("Amit", A2:A10, B2:B10, "Not Found")

🔹 Key Advantages:

• ✅ Searches both vertically and horizontally
• ✅ Works left-to-right and right-to-left
• ✅ Built-in error handling (no need for IFERROR)

🔹 Real-Life Use Cases:

• 📋 Match employee names with IDs
• 📆 Pull monthly sales values
• 📊 Lookup values across different sheets

🔹 Bonus Tips:

• ✨ Use [if_not_found] to return friendly messages
• ✨ Combine with dropdowns for dynamic dashboards
• ✨ Faster and more reliable than older lookup formulas

🔚 Wrap-Up

If you use Excel 365 or Excel 2021+, start using XLOOKUP — it’s more powerful and simpler than VLOOKUP or HLOOKUP.

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