column_num - the column number in array from which you want to return a value.row_num - the row number in array from which you want to return a value.array - a range of cells that you want to return a value from.Here is a very simple explanation of each parameter: INDEX MATCH formula with multiple criteria.INDEX MATCH MATCH to lookup in rows and columns.The basics of INDEX and MATCH functions.On the other hand, the INDEX MATCH combination is more flexible and has many awesome features that make it superior to VLOOKUP in many respects. Because VLOOKUP has numerous limitations that can prevent you from getting the desired result in many situations. 'What do I need that for?' you may wonder.
And now, I will try if not to talk you out of using VLOOKUP, then at least show you an alternative way to do a vertical lookup in Excel. In a couple of recent articles, we made a good effort to explain the basics of VLOOKUP function to beginners and provide more complex VLOOKUP formula examples to power users. This tutorial shows how to use INDEX and MATCH in Excel and how it is better than VLOOKUP.
