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How to vlookup find the first, 2nd or nth match value in Excel?

Supposing you have two columns with Products and quantities as below screenshot shown. For quickly finding out the quantities of the first or second banana, what would you do?

Here the vlookup function can help you deal with this problem. In this article, we will show you how to vlookup find the first, second or the nth match value with the Vlookup function in Excel.

Vlookup find the first, 2nd or nth match value in Excel with formula

Easily vlookup find the first match value in Excel with Kutools for Excel

Vlookup find the first, 2nd or nth match value in Excel

Please do as follows to find the first, 2nd or nth match value in Excel.

1. In cell D1, enter the criteria which you want to vlookup, here I enter Banana.

2. Here we will find the first match value of banana. Select a blank cell such as E2, copy and paste formula =INDEX($B$2:$B$6,MATCH(TRUE,EXACT($D$1,$A$2:$A$6),0)) into the Formula Bar, and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys simultaneously.

Note: In this formula, $B$2:$B$6 is the range of the matching values; $A$2:$A$6 is the range with all the criteria for vlookup; $D$1 is the cell containing the specified vlookup criteria.

Then you will get the first match value of banana in cell E2. With this formula, you can only get the first corresponding value based on your criteria.

To get any nth relative values, you can apply the following formula: =INDEX($B$2:$B$6,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$6,ROW($A$2:$A$6)-ROW($A$2)+1),1)) + Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys together, this formula will return the first matched value.

Notes:

1. To find the second match value, please change the above formula to =INDEX($B$2:$B$6,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$6,ROW($A$2:$A$6)-ROW($A$2)+1),2)), and then press Ctrl + Shift + Enter keys simultaneously. See screenshot:

2. The last number in the above formula means the nth match value of the vlookup criteria. If you change it to 3, it will get the third match value, and change to n, the nth match value will be found out.

Vlookup find the first match value in Excel with Kutools for Excel

You can easily find the first match value in Excel without remembering formulas with the Look for a value in list formula formula of Kutools for Excel.

Before applying Kutools for Excel, please download and install it firstly.

1. Select a cell for locating the first matching value (says cell E2), and then click Kutools > Formula Helper > Formula Helper. See screenshot:

3. In the Formula Helper dialog box, please configure as follows:

  • 3.1 In the Choose a formula box, find and select Look for a value in list;
    Tips: You can check the Filter box, enter certain word into the text box to filter the formula quickly.
  • 3.2 In the Table_array box, select the table which contains the first matching value values.;
  • 3.2 In the Lookup_value box, select the cell contains the criteria you will return the first value based on;
  • 3.3 In the Column box, specify the column you will return the matched value from. Or you can enter the column number into the textbox directly as you need.
  • 3.4 Click the OK button. See screenshot:

Now the corresponding cell value will be auto-populated in cell C10 based on drop-down list selection.

  If you want to have a free trial ( 30-day) of this utility, please click to download it, and then go to apply the operation according above steps.

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Comments (40)
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EKTA SINGH
EKTA SINGH
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Hi Can you provide the video for the above mentioned formula to fatch the 2nd ,3rd value of the data
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Danish
Danish
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Thank you so much!!!
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MT
MT
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What if the banana can be yellow or green, how can we use this formula to show the right quantity based on two values (instead of one just now)? Thanks for your help!
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Dynes
Dynes
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If the value result is #NUM! could you please show me the formula to add so it will return to ZERO result. Thank you
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alan
alan     Dynes
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Just add IFERROR(your formula, the result you want to return), for example, the formula is =sum(A1:A6), then it would convert to =IFERROR(sum(A1:A6),""), it will return blank if the result is error like #NUM!.
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Nithin
Nithin
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Help me to find the maximum value of Bananaa using a formula . Ie to display 300
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Nithin
Nithin
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How to find the maximum value of Bananaa
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Ferdhy
Ferdhy
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=Sumproduct(((A2:A6)=D1)*((B2:B6)=Max(B2:B6))*(B2:B6))
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Nithin
Nithin     Ferdhy
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[quote]=Sumproduct(((A2:A6)=D1)*((B2:B6)=Max(B2:B6))*(B2:B6))By Ferdhy[/quote] i appreciate your help FERDHY. i tried out the formula , but since max(B2:B6) is 500 (orange), the value i get is 0.
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Ferdhy
Ferdhy     Nithin
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Hi, Just use this =SUMPRODUCT(MAX(((A2:A8)=D1)*(B2:B8))) once you change in D1 and put Banana, you should get 300 , if you put Orange, you will get 500. Ferdhy
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Rita
Rita     Ferdhy
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You can also use:
=max(if(A2:A6=D1, B2:B6)) + Ctrl + Shift + Enter
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Warthogb
Warthogb
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How can I increase last number automatically when dragging the formula down: =INDEX($B$2:$B$6,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$6,ROW($A$2:$A$6)-ROW($A$2)+1),2)),
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crystal
crystal     Warthogb
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Dear Warthogb,

If you want to automatically get all matched values by dragging the formula down, please apply the following array formula:



=IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$7,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$7,ROW($A$2:$A$7)-ROW($A$2)+1),1+(ROW(A1)-1))), "") + Ctrl + Shift + Enter
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Warthogb
Warthogb     crystal
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Crystal, Many many thanks, have only had a chance today 27/8/48 to see your help, will do formula later today :)
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Abby
Abby
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Hi,
I applied this formula but in my case I have numbers in place of the product name. When I drag down the formula to look for the next number in the list I get an error.

events volume odd events only volume
1 0.3 1 0.3
1 2.5 1 2.5
2 1.1 3 #NUM
2 0.5 3 #NUM
3 0
3 0.2
3 1
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crystal
crystal     Abby
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Dear Abby,
The drag down feature can only work for same vlookup values. But in your case, the vlookup values are different (1 and 3).
Please use this array formula: =IFERROR(INDEX($B$2:$B$8,SMALL(IF($C$4=$A$2:$A$8,ROW($A$2:$A$8)-ROW($A$2)+1),1+(ROW(A1)-1))), "") + Ctrol + Shift + Enter, and drag down the formula to get all matched values in the same vlookup value as below screenshot shown.
View Attachments (1 / 5)
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JB
JB
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Awesome tutorial! Worked like a charm, even across multiple sheets in the same file! Many thanks!!
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Christina
Christina
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My current formula is {=IFERROR(INDEX(Sheet3!$C$2:$C$596,SMALL(IF(Sheet3!$A$2:$A$596=Sheet2!A19,ROW(Sheet3!$A$2:$A$596)-ROW(INDEX(Sheet3!$A$2:$A$596,1,1))+1),P19)),0)} But how would I apply this with multiple criteria, say two matches?
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sunil
sunil     Christina
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My problem is similar
ping me if you find solution
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Jones
Jones     sunil
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create an auxiliary column wich concatenates your criterias, then use the concatenate as the criteria!

Hope it works!
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R. G.
R. G.
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I have a little problem with this formula, it doesn't work exactly for my case:
=INDEX($B$2:$B$6,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$6,ROW($A$2:$A$6)-ROW($A$2)+1),1)) + Ctrl + Shift + Enter

what if the criteria I am looking for is not exactly the same each time (Banana), but rather it becomes part of a phrase (banana republic) and so on; what then? By changing the "n" number at the end of this formula, I get "#NUM!" response. I have a column of vocabulary that I want to search for their meaning in the second column, and by typing one word, I need to get all occurrence of that word in any phrase to be listed. Any help on this?
Thanks,
R.G.
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Matt
Matt
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Is it possible to use this formula to find if a number is between two numbers. Below is my formula. Trying to see if a listing with individuals and an amount is between to other set cells (Example: $50,000 and $74,999)


=ArrayFormula(INDEX('4 - Donors List'!$B$2:$B$1000,SMALL(IF('4 - Donors List'!$F$2:$F$1000>=D$2,ROW('4 - Donors List'!$F$2:$F$1000)-ROW('4 - Donors List'!$F$2)+1),$A6)))
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Sim Van Narith
Sim Van Narith
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Dear Ms/Mr,

I have a problem:
I knew a quantities of the product, I want to finding out the product name of the first or second match value of 200, what would you do?
Big Thanks !

Sim Van Narith
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crystal
crystal     Sim Van Narith
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Good day,
Supposing the value of 200 locates in cell F2, please try this formula: =VLOOKUP(F2,IF({1,0},$B$2:$B$7,$A$2:$A$7),2,0).
Hope it can help. Thanks for your comment.
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Santosh
Santosh
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if a member was called on 1st October (October Data Set)as and it wasn’t revived, again the cce called him on 15th November(November Data Set). The member is revived on 16th November. While checking the revival using VLookup it makes YES to both the entries of October & November. How to avoid like it should show “YES” for the November entry actually when it was revived, and also leave the October entry as “NO”.
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Seth
Seth
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Is it possible to find an average of the non-unique data. Or would it be possible to have a list dropdown on the cell of the various values?
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crystal
crystal     Seth
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Good Day,
Sorry can't help you with this yet. Thank you for your comment.
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JAntonio
JAntonio
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And if you want the last, second last, nth last just add a counter (count the number of events already hapenned) to the end and subtract it by 0,1,n respectively.

Thank you so much! I was searching for this for a long time
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crystal
crystal     JAntonio
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Good Day,
Sorry can't help you with this yet. Thank you for your comment.
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Mark Rashleigh
Mark Rashleigh
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If the first or any of the other entry's for 'banana' column B was blank cell, of which I don't require this number, what changes are required to this formula to skip blank cell in column B.
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Mark Rashleigh
Mark Rashleigh     Mark Rashleigh
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Sorry I am using this formula
=INDEX($B$2:$B$6,SMALL(IF($D$1=$A$2:$A$6,ROW($A$2:$A$6)-ROW($A$2)+1),1))
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Mark Rashleigh
Mark Rashleigh     Mark Rashleigh
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SOLVED:
=SMALL(IF(A2:A7=D1,IF(B2:B7<>"",B2:B7)),1)

If 2nd or 3rd number required exchange ),1) to 2 or 3

This formula does not require index, as it directly looks at the value in Cell
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Mark Rashleigh
Mark Rashleigh     Mark Rashleigh
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Correction to previous formula:
The value was reading either the lesser or greater.

Updated formula
=INDEX($B$2:$B$7,SMALL(IF($A2:$A6=$D$1,IF($B$2:$B$7<>"",ROW($A2:$A6)-ROW($A2)+1)),1))

This skips blank cell and places value of non blank cell. Replace +1 with +2 or +3 for 2nd or 3rd value
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Hoori
Hoori
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Perfect explanation, thanks.
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Shahzad Afzal
Shahzad Afzal
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I have a scenario... How do I get last price of anything for reference... Example: Banana first price was 200... While purchasing for second time; I need to display 200 in my expected price cell and then if I buy that on the day at 220, I will put this value manually as 220... Whenever next time I will buy banana; I need to display 220 from the last purchase price
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