Give the AI a spreadsheet task it can resolve
A request like “fix my sales” does not specify a search key, source range, or result column. For this site’s supported task, describe what identifies the record and which value you want returned.
On Orders, A2 contains a product ID. Search the first column of Products!$A$2:$C$4 and return column 3, the price. Use an exact match.
Enter A2 as the lookup cell, Products!$A$2:$C$4 as the table range, and 3 as the return column in the optional details. Use the actual references from your workbook rather than expecting the tool to see your sheets.
Check the formula against known rows
| Row | A: ID | B: Product | C: Price |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | P-101 | Notebook | 4.50 |
| 3 | P-204 | Stapler | 12.00 |
| 4 | P-318 | Markers | 7.25 |
=VLOOKUP(A2,Products!$A$2:$C$4,3,FALSE)With P-204 in Orders!A2, the expected answer is 12.00. With P-101, it is 4.50. With P-999, expect #N/A, because that ID is absent. These three checks test a middle record, another known record, and a missing record.
Before filling down, confirm that the table stays fixed with $ while A2 changes to A3. Verify that the result is a price rather than the product name. A formula can be syntactically valid and still point at the wrong data.
Know what this AI tool can do
- Generate a single rightward exact-match VLOOKUP formula from your description and supplied references.
- Explain the lookup cell, source table, return-column number, and FALSE argument.
- Provide a result for you to copy into Excel or Google Sheets.
It does not open workbooks, clean data, create charts, analyze uploaded files, or generate XLOOKUP, INDEX MATCH, COUNTIF, or SUMIFS. Use the dedicated guides for manual examples of those functions. There is no direct Excel installation or workbook connection.
Share structure rather than sensitive records
A generic description such as “match a customer ID and return the account category” plus cell references is usually enough. Your input is sent to an AI service to generate the formula; we do not store it on our servers. Avoid entering confidential customer records when references and fictional examples describe the task.
Decide whether a lookup is the right operation
“Find the price for one ID” is a lookup. “Count unpaid invoices” needs COUNTIF or COUNTIFS. “Total paid invoices for East” needs SUMIFS. More detail in an AI prompt cannot make a VLOOKUP add multiple matching transactions.