INDEX MATCH Lookup
Build flexible lookups when you want independent match and return ranges.
What this solves
Return a material description from a master table. This pattern is useful when the business question is clear but a generic tutorial is too abstract.
The rule
=INDEX(return_range,MATCH(lookup_value,lookup_range,0))
=INDEX($C:$C,MATCH(A2,$F:$F,0))Google Sheets: The core pattern is also usable in Google Sheets; exact function support and locale separators can differ.
Real-work checklist
- Define the business key and expected grain before writing the formula, query or markup.
- Test the pattern on a small known sample where you can verify the answer manually.
- Check missing values, duplicates and data types before trusting a large result.
- Scale to the real file or database only after the logic is proven.
Common mistake
Use exact-match 0 unless you intentionally need approximate matching.