HLOOKUP Function Example

August 15th, 2004 | Categories: LOOKUP | Tags: ,

HLOOKUP is kin to VLOOKUP. VLOOKUP looks up a value from a Vertical list and HLOOKUP looks up a value from a Horizontal list. Go figure. Here is a quick tutorial on the HLOOKUP function.

In this picture we have a list of People and their respective Sales and a Table showing the Bonus they get if they hit a certain target.

In Column C we want to show the bonus based on sales. We do this by grabbing the Sales, comparing it to the Bonus Target table, and returning the bonus amount using HLOOKUP.
Here is the HLOOKUP in layman’s syntax

=HLOOKUP(CellToLookup ,RangeToLookIn, WhichRowToReturn, ExactMatch?)

And now in practice:

1. In a blank cell that we would like to return a result from the list, type =HLOOKUP(
2. Click on the cell where there is a value to lookup (this will enter the cell in your formula)
3. Hit , (comma)
4. Click and drag to select the entire list to look in
5. Hit, (comma)
6. Type the numerical value of the row you would like to return (Don’t type the actual row number, this refers to the row to return in the data. In this example we return row 2 from our Bonus Target table.
7. Hit ,(comma)
8. Type “True” and hit enter

Sidenote: We type “True” to return an approximate answer. To return an exact match type “False”

Sidenote: If you notice the $ signs in the formula, this make the range we lookin absolute. We did this so we could autofill the formula down and our range to look in always stays the same.

  1. Meki
    November 8th, 2005 at 09:19
    Reply | Quote | #1

    Thanks a lot for this example it is great!

  2. Chris Hathaway
    November 9th, 2005 at 02:42
    Reply | Quote | #2

    Well done, very nicely explained. Thanks a lot. I expect I will be using your site quite a lot on the future.

  3. william
    August 18th, 2008 at 19:21
    Reply | Quote | #3

    I am doing a hlookup but when i drag the formula the range lookup remains the same i want it to change from 3 to 4 to 5 etc.

    Here is the formula I have
    =HLOOKUP(G13,’FY09 book’!F16:Q137,3)

    The last number (3) doesn’t change to 4 when i drag it can you help me figure out how i can change it.

  4. Fazlin
    October 24th, 2008 at 06:41
    Reply | Quote | #4

    Could you let me know how the formula identify the minimum sales that each sales person should make in order to get the bouns

  5. Steve
    April 14th, 2010 at 12:53
    Reply | Quote | #5

    william :I am doing a hlookup but when i drag the formula the range lookup remains the same i want it to change from 3 to 4 to 5 etc.
    Here is the formula I have=HLOOKUP(G13,’FY09 book’!F16:Q137,3)
    The last number (3) doesn’t change to 4 when i drag it can you help me figure out how i can change it.

    Try this =HLOOKUP(G13,’FY09 book’!F16:Q137,ROW(),false)