How to do a three-way lookup in Excel?
In practical business scenarios, you may encounter tables where data is organized by multiple criteria, such as product type, store location, and import batch. For example, imagine you have every product (KTE, KTO, KTW) distributed across three stores (A, B, C), and each store has imported items in two separate batches. If you need to determine the quantity of product KTO in store B from the first import, as shown in the screenshot below, manually searching for this information would be inefficient and potentially error-prone—especially when handling large datasets. This tutorial introduces several solutions for performing a three-way lookup in Excel, helping you quickly return a value from a given range using formulas, VBA code, and Pivot Table techniques.
Excel array formula solution
If you want to perform a multi-criteria lookup in Excel, you can list all three search criteria, for example, in cells G1, G2, and G3. Use the following array formula to search your table for matching results (as illustrated in the image above):
=INDEX($A$3:$D$11, MATCH(G1&G2,$A$3:$A$11&$B$3:$B$11,0), MATCH(G3,$A$2:$D$2,0))
Enter this formula in a blank cell where you wish to display the result. After typing the formula, press Shift + Ctrl + Enter since this is an array formula; doing so enables Excel to process multiple criteria combined across ranges. This formula searches for the row where criteria1 and criteria2 match, and retrieves the column from criteria3.
Common issues may occur if cell references are inaccurate or if you forget to press Shift + Ctrl + Enter. When adjusting the formula for different tables, make sure both the ranges and criteria cells reference the correct locations.
Parameter explanations for the formula:
- $A$3:$D$11: The complete range of your data table.
- G1&G2: Concatenated values of your first and second criteria (e.g., product and store).
- $A$3:$A$11&$B$3:$B$11: The ranges where your criteria1 and criteria2 are stored. The use of "&" enables row-level matching of combined criteria.
- G3, $A$2:$D$2: The third criterion (e.g., import batch) and the range containing batch labels.
The formula is case-insensitive, meaning it will match both upper and lower case text equally. If data entry errors appear, double-check for leading or trailing spaces in criteria cells, as these may prevent correct matches.
Tip: If you often require this kind of multi-condition lookup formula but find the syntax complex, consider saving it to the Auto Text pane in Kutools for Excel. This way, you can easily reuse the formula at any time, in any worksheet, simply by clicking to apply—and only need to adjust the cell references as needed. This avoids having to memorize the formula or search for its syntax online repeatedly. |
Sample File
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