Use INDEX and MATCH in Excel and impress your boss. Instead of using VLOOKUP, use INDEX and MATCH. To perform advanced lookups, you'll need INDEX and MATCH. The MATCH function returns the position of a value in a given range. For example, the MATCH function below looks up the value 53 in the range B3:B9.

The Excel function INDEX used with the function MATCH allows for value searching in an array. Prerequisites: Before proceeding, consult the tutorial on the function INDEX as well as that of the function MATCH.

The INDEX MATCH is a combo of the INDEX and MATCH formula. Therefore, we can use it to get the desired result for the lookup value. Let us understand the syntax of these two functions one by one: Reference: It can be a single cell range or a collection of non-adjacent cell ranges.

One benefit of INDEX and MATCH formulas is that they use numeric indexing. This makes it easy to customize behavior to match specific data patterns. For example, you can use a step-based formula to jump directly to relevant data. By itself, the MATCH function is not case-sensitive.