Lookup
Reverse VLOOKUP (Right to Left)
Perform a reverse lookup where the search column is to the RIGHT of the return column. VLOOKUP only looks left-to-right, but INDEX/MATCH works in any direction.
Excel Formula
=INDEX(A2:A100,MATCH(D2,C2:C100,0))Step-by-Step Explanation
1
INDEX returns a value from a specified position in a range
2
A2:A100 is the column containing values you want returned
3
MATCH finds the position of D2 in the search column C2:C100
4
0 means exact match
5
Unlike VLOOKUP, the return column can be anywhere
Example
| Name (A) | Department (B) | Employee ID (C) |
|---|---|---|
| John Smith | Sales | EMP001 |
| Sarah Jones | Marketing | EMP002 |
| Mike Wilson | Sales | EMP003 |
Result: =INDEX(A2:A100,MATCH("EMP002",C2:C100,0)) → Sarah Jones
Common Variations
XLOOKUP (Excel 365)
=XLOOKUP(D2,C2:C100,A2:A100)Modern alternative, works any direction
CHOOSE trick
=VLOOKUP(D2,CHOOSE({1,2},C2:C100,A2:A100),2,0)Forces VLOOKUP to look right-to-left
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