Vlookup wildcard. Unfortunately my formula is not working.

Vlookup wildcard Now how do you get the sales amount for that person? Read more to find how to solve this. However this has always been with the ‘lookup_value’ being the item with the wild card. Feb 4, 2014 · Hi Everyone, I need to do a "reverse" vlookup, using a wildcard of some sort. Re: VLOOKUP - Wildcard not working Yes, the wildcard in VLOOKUP works the other way around from what you are thinking. Here are some examples of partial match with vlookup and how the wildcard character work and downloadable excel template. Wildcard characters can even be used when using the find functionality within Excel. this should have worked the other way around using wildcard. Visit and Download our practice book, modify data and exercise. '-- NLtL Professional Compare Microsoft Excel Tutorial: Wildcards in Excel VLOOKUP XLOOKUP and SUMIFS. Aug 11, 2025 · I see blog posts explaining how to do amazing things using wildcards with VLOOKUP. Aug 20, 2024 · Vlookup multiple values containing wildcard (~, *, ?) literally with Kutools for EXCEL Sometimes, you may need to vlookup many values containing wildcard literally from selected range in Excel at the same time. Not in the sense of go-wild-and-chomp-a-few-kilo-bytes-of-data sense. (There are ways to handle that, but that isn't the point here. Jul 15, 2008 · The VLOOKUP function is one of my most-used tools in Excel. Since most people don Feb 20, 2025 · Learn how to use wildcards in Google Sheets to find, count, and sum data more efficiently. Unlock new efficiency and precision in your spreadsheet tasks today. I have data that co Jul 9, 2025 · The Excel VLOOKUP function is used to retrieve information from a table using a lookup value. Simply placing the tilde before the asterisk tells Excel that the asterisk is not to be used as a wildcard. Become a data wizard today. See also How do ransomware attacks impact critical infrastructure? Jan 13, 2015 · I am looking to write a bit of code using the Vlookup function to return a value to an adjacent column. Feb 10, 2023 · With wildcard characters, you can make VLOOKUP function properly even with a partial lookup value. is_sorted: Optional input. Welcome to another video from MrExcel! Today, we're diving into the world of wildcard Jan 12, 2014 · Other topics about vlookup: The basic of vlookup Tips in constructing vlookup vlookup with Match vlookup options – True or False? Advanced vlookup – Text vs. The multiple zips in a single cell are text, but the single zips in a cell are numbers. Jan 8, 2025 · Let‘s break this down: While simple VLOOKUP formulas like above are useful, some lookup scenarios require more advanced techniques: Two-column VLOOKUP allows larger lookup ranges if table exceeds 256 cols Wildcards can match partial text strings OFFSET returns dynamic ranges that grow/shrink Here are some examples of advanced VLOOKUP formulas: Now let’s walk through some common use cases Aug 23, 2022 · Vlookup with Wild card {*} in excel Asked 2 years, 9 months ago Modified 2 years, 9 months ago Viewed 439 times Dec 13, 2023 · Hi, Which node do I use to simulate the VLOOKUP with wildcard on KNIME i. Download the Advanced VLOOKUP Cheat Sheet Download the Advanced VLOOKUP Cheat Sheet. Every phrase contains one color in the phrase. In the below data, we may not remember the full name of sales person, but we know that her name starts with jac. So today in this post, I’d like to share with you how to use wildcard characters with VLOOKUP. Unlock the magic of Vlookup with wildcard in Google Sheets. any sugges Aug 31, 2011 · The tilde wild card allows you to search for words that contain a wild card - either * or ?. This feature is particularly useful in financial analysis where precise data entry isn Wildcards are small but mighty tools in Excel — they let you search smarter, not harder. The table it is linking to is as follows C 7 B 8 A 9 A* 10 It all pulls through fine, it gives me 7 if one column contains Aug 16, 2023 · 2 suitable examples to use VLOOKUP Function with Wildcard in Google Sheets. One is a list of wildcards, and the other is another list of values. In case you have not use Vlookup with wildcard then this article is for you & you will really wonder how easy your life would be after you learn this tip. Basically, I want to search through my bank statement (with weird values, only a part of which contains useable, searchable data), then match the bank statement name column up with a pre-made list of search terms, and return the category that I assigned to the search VLOOKUP looks for the exact match of the lookup value ‘Sachin’ but fails to find it in the main table range A1:B7. Column A has multiple values in it, so I have been trying to use a wild card to find it. Figure 1 You can use a formula. Let’s suppose I don’t want to hardcode my search It is not the wildcard aspect. Feb 23, 2017 · Other circumstances to use wildcard characters Wildcard characters can be used whenever matching text strings, common functions might be HLOOKUP, MATCH, SEARCH, SUMIFS and SUMIF. But wild like wild cards. Jun 12, 2024 · Method 1 – Using VLOOKUP with Wildcard for Partial/Exact Match from a Column Steps: Enter the following formula in cell C15 and press the Enter key. In the example shown, the formula in H7 is: =VLOOKUP (value&"*",data,2,FALSE) where value (H4) and data (B5:E104) are named ranges. In this guide, we're going to show you how to use Wildcard criteria in Excel formulas. VLOOKUP() itself can only use the first 255 characters. Fo. Is there any way to do this? This video shows how we can use wildcards (partial matches) with the XLOOKUP and FILTER functions. Sep 5, 2017 · I understand the basic use of the vlookup with wildcard but I'm running into a problem lately. Choose an option: FALSE = Exact match. VLOOKUP supports approximate and exact matching, and wildcards (* ?) for partial matches. The lookup values must appear in the first column of the table, and the information to retrieve is specified by column number. If a match is found, it should display the value next to that wildcard. This is recommended. However, in most cases, the lookup table might be on different sheets. ) INDEX/MATCH has the same problem. Aug 30, 2024 · How to use wildcards with VLOOKUP Using the VLOOKUP function, you can search for a value from any dataset in Excel. In this article we will learn how to use Vlookup function with wildcard in excel. Dec 9, 2024 · I am trying to identify words in a cell using VLookup-wildcard and referencing a table of words and an accompaniying identifier in the column beside. May 30, 2025 · Learn how Excel's wildcard characters enhance flexibility in search, replace, and formula logic. In this case, you can try Kutools for Excel’s Select Same & Different Cells utility to archive it easily! Jul 24, 2014 · Learn how to use wildcards with VLOOKUP in Excel to efficiently search and match data, expanding your data lookup capabilities. The data in column A contains a series of phrases. Discover how to use wildcards in Excel to find and analyze data with partial information. May 28, 2020 · I am semi-familiar with using wild cards in VLOOKUP formulas. Jun 22, 2020 · In this video you can learn how to use wildcards in vlookup in excel. You'll learn all the Excel Vlookup Wildcard, how to use them in your worksheets, as well as some great examples. Next to the column on the first sheet, I want an additional column to contain a formula that will check the value in the first column against the wildcards in the second sheet. The search string of "*99032*" worked for me whan I prefixed that number (in the search column) with an apostrophe "'". I need to lookup a value that contained in a cell as a part of string. Find hidden data gems & save time with powerful examples. 🚀 Unlock hidden Excel tricks and hacks, and become a time-saving Excel pro 👉 excel Feb 8, 2023 · By using the asterisk “wildcard” (*), within a VLOOKUP, we can lookup values that contain (partial match) certain text, instead of values that match the lookup text exactly. That would allow you to keep your original structure, if that is important to you. However, it cannot find or fetch the value if there is a slight difference in the lookup_value. We also share examples for each wildcard and explain how to troubleshoot any issues. Jun 3, 2021 · To retrieve information from a table based on a partial match, you can use the VLOOKUP function in exact match mode with a wildcard. , VLOOKUP(A2&“*”,Sheet2!A2:A100,1,0) I tried adding the wildcard (*) to all the values in the column using string manipulation and then use Joiner node, but that did not help… the topics which are present in this forum related to this scenario were not helpful either… I mean the solutions of those topics got Guide to VLOOKUP Partial Match. However i would like the lookup to work with a wildcard ie not require an exact match. VLOOKUP With Wildcards The VLOOKUP function supports wildcards, but only when you set the range_ lookup argument to FALSE (for exact match). Most people don’t realize that VLOOKUP will support wildcards. Please post your discoveries in the comments below for all to share. But, when you combine an asterisk, which is a wildcard character, you can get the student’s marks by just using a partial match. See examples of single and multiple wildcards, and how to avoid wildcards with tilde. See examples, steps, tips and FAQs on VLOOKUP wildcard function. Jan 6, 2020 · Wildcard represents one or more other characters. A normal VLOOKUP doesn’t allow you to look up a value like this. In fact, the Excel team at Microsoft thinks that wildcards more frequently end up in VLOOKUPs by accident than they do by people using them intentionally. In the below Sample I look up Aug 16, 2023 · Google Sheets wildcard is frequently used in SUMIF, COUNTIF and VLOOKUP functions to make the functions more efficient. Aug 23, 2023 · The tutorial shows how to use VLOOKUP in Excel with many practical examples: Vlookup from another sheet, from a different workbook, with wildcards, exact match vs. In this article, you’ll be learning how to use these wildcards when using Excel’s VLOOKUP function. I think you are trying to figure whether any of the words in column A of code can be found in A2 of desc. With my table in columns A:C, this is how I setup my formula: =VLOOKUP("John S*",A:C,3,false) This returns a value of $125. Let us look at an example in which we retrieve the value from a different sheet. It's all working fine apart from the *. This is useful when you want to perform a lookup based on a partial match. That’s true – but how can you use the VLOOKUP function when you are unsure about the value to be looked up? Using the wildcard characters 🎯 Jun 20, 2024 · VLOOKUP With Wildcard Imagine we have this table of employee information and we’ve been given a partial name (in this example: “ Mye “) to find and retrieve information about. Learn how to use a VLOOKUP formula with a wild card. A clever formula solution when your data isn not matching due to hidden characters. e. index: The index of the column with the return value of the range. Aug 30, 2024 · Learn how to use wildcards in VLOOKUP formulas to find partial matches in Excel datasets. approximate match, and more. range: The upper and lower values to consider for the search. Learn how to use the VLOOKUP wildcard characters *, ? to lookup values with partial match in Excel. the new formula doesn't seem t be working on my spreadsheet. VLOOKUP helps users to retrieve values using the lookup_value in a dataset. Our step-by-step guide makes vlookup in excel easy and efficient. The goal of the challenge is to use the lookup table in D2:E10 to assign the phrase to one of the names in column E. Number Advanced vlookup – Wildcard Characters “?” and “*” Alternative to vlookup – Index and Match Three different ways to do case-sensitive lookup You should know that wildcard search often leads to problems later. To do this we use a standard VLOOKUP with wildcard asterisk character: * The idea here is that we’ll search through the Last Name column to find the one starting with “Mye”, even though we don’t know the Aug 31, 2020 · Aug 31, 2020, 3:00 PM To: Scott Gervais re: using vLookup Wildcards in vLookup only work when searching text. The index must be a positive integer. The c VLOOKUP supports wildcards for powerful partial-matching: use the asterisk (*) for “any number of characters”, the question mark (?) for “exactly one character”, and the tilde (~) to treat wildcards literally, enabling flexible lookups when exact keys don’t exist or vary in format. Jan 27, 2024 · 🌟 **Welcome to dptutorials! Subscribe for Exciting Content!** 🌟In today's tutorial, let us learn how to use the VLOOKUP function with wildcards in Excel. Mar 23, 2024 · Definition VLOOKUP Wildcard in finance refers to the use of special characters – asterisk (*) and question mark (?) – in Excel’s VLOOKUP function to match certain parts of a text string. Apr 30, 2024 · Method 1 – Using the VLOOKUP Function to Lookup a Partial Text Match in Excel In the following picture, there is a table containing the marks in different subjects for some students in an exam. The asterisk acts as a substitute for any number of characters and the question mark replaces a single character. I know this is something to do with it being a wildcard character but I don't know how to fix it. Discover practical examples using *, ?, and ~ in filtering, VLOOKUP (), and more. See examples of asterisks, question marks and tildes as wildcard characters and how to combine them. Unfortunately, I don't see anything about wildcards in Microsoft's documentation for VLOOKUP. I am trying to reclassify a large data set where a range of lookup values relate to one classification and to do this I would like to use the wildcard in the in ‘table_array’ as shown below. May 1, 2019 · The field she needed to search contained a variable number of characters as a prefix, followed by the check number, then ending with even more characters. There are other formulas you can use Wildcards with so feel free to experiment. Index , Match and Vlookup formula to lookup values from 4 different tables - https://you May 31, 2022 · Can someone help me with a question: Im trying to find the lookup value in column A, in column B. Unfortunately my formula is not working. How to VLOOKUP Wildcard (*,?) in Google Sheets? #1 – Typical VLOOKUP Function VLOOKUP in Google Sheets helps you look up related information by row while looking up a value in a vertical column. TRUE Using Wildcards With Lookup Functions 1. 50, which is the first customer in the list, John Smith. Jun 23, 2024 · Also, your VLOOKUP() function is not working because, the lookup value you have is a string of words while the keywords is one single word here. Its versatility is further enhanced when combined with wildcard characters, which are symbols that represent one or more In this video we'll look at how to use VLOOKUP with wildcards. But in this challenge, VLOOKUP won’t quite work. For example old data in row 10 starting with ABC123 4 while new data in row 1000 starting with VLOOKUP is a powerful function in Excel that allows users to search for a value in the first column of a table and return a value in the same row from a specified column. Learn how to use function VLOOKUP in Excel to find data in a table or range by row. You can use a User Defined Function Nov 1, 2010 · Situation Often we need our lookup formulas to go wild. Any ideas 🧙‍♂️ Excel Wizardry: Mastering VLOOKUP with Wildcards for Flexible Searches 🔍Unlock the full potential of Excel with this wizardry! Learn how to wield VLOO Mencari data menggunakan kombinasi VLOOKUP + WILDCARD. However, by combining the wildcard character asterisk, we can perform VLOOKUP partial match in the main table. Nov 5, 2014 · I am doing a vlookup. Jul 31, 2024 · Learn how to use the VLOOKUP function with wildcards to find partial or exact matches in Excel. To overcome such scenarios, we use the VLOOKUP with Wildcard characters. This is an array formula. However, the simplest solution is to use XMATCH() instead (as a much newer function, it is able to handle longer strings). Master the three crucial wildcard characters today! May 10, 2018 · How can I get the vlookup to continue searching via wildcard AFTER a space? I'm trying to understand why 'Cox En' in my screenshot (deliniated in green) are matching, and 'Cox Enterprises' (deliniated in red) are not matching. In the example above it is looking for "*Elevator 456*" in column A of sheet code. Oct 21, 2025 · Using VLOOKUP with wildcards I can use the VLOOKUP function to find a value that Starts with ‘John S’ and this can be done by adding a wildcard afterwards. VLOOKUP searches from top from bottom and will just take the first text matching the wildcard. But the lookup table shows the full names as Apr 7, 2025 · We explain different types of Excel VLOOKUP wildcard. For example, in the main table, the lookup_value is for employees “ Shruthi and Abhishek ”. So it is very possible, that someone will add a new row - and you will not notice it. By combining them with VLOOKUP, COUNTIFS, or XLOOKUP, you can build robust formulas that adapt to real-world, messy data. May 6, 2020 · Re: vlookup with wildcard not working I have uploaded a spreadsheet with both the new and previous formula. Syntax =VLOOKUP (search_key, range, index, [is_sorted]) Inputs search_key: The value to search for in the first column of the range. For eg.