How to Perform a Reverse VLOOKUP in Google Sheets

Performing a reverse VLOOKUP in Google Sheets involves using a combination of the INDEX and MATCH functions to look up a value in a table where the lookup value is in a column to the right of the data you want to return. This is useful when you need to search for data that is not organized in the standard left-to-right format that VLOOKUP requires.

Here's a step-by-step guide on how to perform a reverse VLOOKUP in Google Sheets:

1. Open your Google Sheet containing the data you want to search.
2. Identify the range of cells containing the data you want to look up. In this example, let's say the data is in cells A1:B5.
3. Determine the index number of the column you want to return data from. This is the relative position of the column within the selected range. Let's say you want to return data from column A, which is the first column in the range, so the index number is 1.
4. Identify the cell containing the value you want to look up. Let's say the value you want to look up is in cell D1.
5. In an empty cell, enter the following formula:

=INDEX(A1:A5, MATCH(D1, B1:B5, 0))

6. Press Enter to complete the formula. The cell will now display the result of the reverse VLOOKUP.

Example

Let's say you have the following data in cells A1:B5:

Name        Order ID
Alice       1001
Bob         1002
Charlie     1003
David       1004
Eve         1005

You want to find the Name associated with Order ID 1003, which is in cell D1. Since the lookup value (Order ID) is to the right of the data you want to return (Name), you'll need to perform a reverse VLOOKUP.

1. In an empty cell (e.g., E1), enter the following formula:

=INDEX(A1:A5, MATCH(D1, B1:B5, 0))

2. Press Enter. Cell E1 will now display the result of the reverse VLOOKUP, which is "Charlie".