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Three easy ways to autofill VLOOKUP in Excel?

Author: Sun Last Modified: 2024-09-05

VLOOKUP function is useful in Excel, but when you drag the autofill handle to fill range with a VLOOKUP formula, there may appear some errors. Now this tutorial will tell you the correct way to auto fill VLOOKUP function in Excel.

Autofill VLOOKUP in Excel with absolute reference

Autofill VLOOKUP in Excel with range name

Autofill VLOOKUP in Excel with an advanced utility of Kutools for Excel

Sample file


Example

There is a table contains the grades and the relative marks, now you want to look up the grades in B2:B5 and return the relative marks in C2:C5 as below screenshot shown:
sample data


Autofill VLOOKUP in Excel with absolute reference

Generally, you may use the VLOOKUP formula like this =VLOOKUP(B2,F2:G8,2) then you drag the auto fill handle to a range you need, you may get the wrong results as below screenshot shown:
use relative cell reference to autofill vlookup to get incorrect result

But if you use absolute reference instead of the relative reference in the table array part of the formula, the autofill results will be correct.

Type

=VLOOKUP(B2,$F$2:$G$8,2)

into the cell you need, and drag the auto fill handle to a range you need, you will get the correct results. See screenshot:
use absolute reference to autofill vlookup to get correct result

Tip:

The syntax of the above VLOOKUP: VLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, col_index_num), here the B2 is the lookup value, the range $F$2:$G$8 is the table, 2 indicates to return value in the second column of the table.

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Autofill VLOOKUP In Excel With Range Name

Addition to using absolute reference in the formula, you also can use the range name to instead of the relative reference in the table array part of formula.

1. Select the table array range, then go to the Name box (beside the formula bar) and type Marks (or any name you want) and press the Enter key. See screenshot:
define a ramge name for the original table

Table array range is the range that contains the criteria you need to use in the VLOOKUP function.

2. In a cell type this formula

=VLOOKUP(B2,Marks,2)

then drag the auto fill handle to a range you need to apply this formula, and the results are correctly gotten.
use the vlookup function o get the result


Autofill VLOOKUP in Excel with an advanced utility of Kutools for Excel

If the formula is troublesome for you, you can try the Super LOOKUP group of Kutools for Excel, which contains several advanced LOOKUP utilities, and all of them supports to auto fill VLOOKUP, you can find one to apply as you need. In this case, I take the LOOKUP Across Multiple Sheets utility as example.

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After free installing Kutools for Excel, please do as below:

1. Click Kutools > Super LOOKUP > LOOKUP Across Multiple Sheets.
click LOOKUP Across Multiple Sheets feature of kutools

2. In the LOOKUP Across Multiple Sheets dialog, please do as these:

1) Select the lookup range and output range.
set lookup and output range in the dialog box

2) In the Data range section, click the Add button  add button to add the data range you use to the list, you can specify the key column and return column while adding.
add data ranges and specify the key column

3. After adding the data range, click OK, a dialog pops out to ask you if save the scenario, click Yes to give the scenario a name, click No to close. Now the VLOOKUP has been auto filled in the output range.
click Yes to give the scenario a name
the VLOOKUP has been auto filled in the output range


Sample file

Click to download sample file


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