XLOOKUP vs INDEX MATCH
Both support flexible lookups; XLOOKUP is easier to read, INDEX/MATCH remains highly compatible and composable.
XLOOKUP
Use it when
Use XLOOKUP for clarity in modern Excel.
INDEX MATCH
Use it when
Use INDEX/MATCH when version compatibility or advanced composition matters.
Decision rule
Choose the option that matches the real requirement, data size, maintainability needs and compatibility constraints. Avoid selecting a technique only because it is familiar.
Need clarity?Prefer the simpler option that expresses the business rule directly.
Verify before scaling
Run both approaches on a small known dataset if the difference affects financial, inventory or operational decisions. Equivalent-looking techniques can behave differently with duplicates, blanks, NULL values or version constraints.