XLOOKUP Made Easy: Simplifying Complex Data Searches in Excel

XLOOKUP is a new feature in the latest version of Excel. It means you'll no longer need to use either VLOOKUP or Index and Match, as it's a much more powerful and accurate tool. It also allows you to use Wildcard characters such as * or ?, which means you can match parts of a string or account for misspellings. In this two minute video, Gill explains how to use XLOOKUP with an example scenario.

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XLOOKUP is a great new feature in the latest version of Excel and improves on both VLOOKUP and Index and Match. Unlike VLOOKUP, the new XLOOKUP function defaults to an exact match (rather than an approximate match) and you can use wild cards such as * or ? if you’re not sure of the exact spelling. It will only reference the data required too, making it faster than VLOOKUP in big spreadsheets, and you can add or remove columns without the XLOOKUP giving errors.

In this short video, Gill makes XLOOKUPs easy by talking through an example.

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Claire Lickman

Claire is Head of Marketing at Happy. She has worked at Happy since 2016, and is responsible for Happy’s marketing strategy, website, social media and more. Claire first heard about Happy in 2012 when she attended a mix of IT and personal development courses. These courses were life-changing and she has been a fan of Happy ever since. She has a personal blog at lecari.co.uk.

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