VLOOKUP Between Google Sheets and Excel: What You Can Do Now

VLOOKUP works in both Google Sheets and Microsoft Excel, and its basic formula is nearly the same in each. But a formula in one app does not automatically read a separate file in the other: you need to open or transfer the data, create a supported link, or bring the data into one spreadsheet first.

The short answer: same function, different files

VLOOKUP searches down the first column of a selected range for a value, then returns a value from another column in the same row. Google Sheets and current Excel versions both support it, so a straightforward lookup formula can often be copied between them unchanged. The main issue is not the function itself; it is where the source data lives and whether the destination app can access it.

If both tables are in one Google spreadsheet or one Excel workbook, VLOOKUP is usually simple. If one table is in a Google Sheets file and the other is in a separate Excel workbook, there is no universal formula that can just point to either file type by its web address. The practical solution depends on whether the files are being edited in Sheets, Excel, or both.

How VLOOKUP works

VLOOKUP has four arguments: the value to find, the range to search, the number of the column to return, and whether to use an approximate or exact match. For product data, imagine that A2:A5 contains item codes, B2:B5 contains names, and C2:C5 contains prices. If E2 contains the code to find, the formula is:

With item codes in A2:A5, product names in B2:B5, prices in C2:C5, and the requested code in E2, =VLOOKUP(E2,A2:C5,3,FALSE) returns the price from the third column of the range. If E2 contains P-204 and that code’s price is 18.50, the result is 18.50.

The final argument, FALSE, asks for an exact match. That is usually the right choice for IDs, names, account numbers, or product codes. The column number is counted from the left edge of the selected range, not from the worksheet: in A2:C5, column A is 1, B is 2, and C is 3. VLOOKUP also requires the lookup column to be the first column in the selected range and can only return values to its right.

What carries over between Sheets and Excel

For a basic table, the same VLOOKUP logic works in both apps. The function name, column index, and exact-match setting are familiar across them. A formula such as =VLOOKUP(E2,A2:C5,3,FALSE) does not rely on a Google-only or Excel-only feature, so it is a sensible choice when a workbook may be opened in either program.

However, compatibility is broader than whether the formula parses. A spreadsheet can contain external links, named ranges, formatting, data validation, or other functions that behave differently after conversion or import. Google Sheets can open and edit Excel files, and Excel can open downloaded Sheets files saved in Excel format, but that does not guarantee every feature or link will transfer perfectly. Keep an untouched original when file fidelity matters, and check important formulas and results after moving a file.

One small variation is the argument separator. The examples here use commas, as Excel syntax does. Google Sheets may use semicolons instead, depending on the spreadsheet’s locale settings. If Sheets flags a formula with commas as a parse error, check the file’s locale and use the separator expected by that setting; do not change the lookup logic.

Looking up data in another Google Sheets file

When both files are Google spreadsheets, Sheets can bring a range from one file into another with IMPORTRANGE. VLOOKUP can then search that imported range. This is a live spreadsheet-to-spreadsheet connection rather than a direct connection to an Excel workbook.

Assume A2 contains the code P-204 in the destination sheet, while the source spreadsheet has codes in column A, names in B, and prices in C on a tab named Products. With the source data in Products!A:C, this formula returns the price from column C:

With the lookup code in A2 and source columns A:C on the Products tab of the linked Google spreadsheet, =VLOOKUP(A2,IMPORTRANGE("spreadsheet_url","Products!A:C"),3,FALSE) returns 18.50 for P-204 if that is the matching row’s price.

Replace spreadsheet_url with the source spreadsheet’s URL. The first time the destination sheet tries to retrieve data, Sheets may show a permission prompt; use the option to allow access if you are authorized to connect the files. The source range’s first column still must contain the lookup keys. If the tab name has spaces, enclose it in single quotes inside the range text, as in "'Product List'!A:C".

IMPORTRANGE can be useful for a shared, regularly updated Sheets workflow, but avoid importing far more data than needed. Large or layered imports can make a spreadsheet slower to recalculate, and access depends on permissions to the source file. If the source is an .xlsx file rather than a Google spreadsheet, upload or open it in Sheets, or import a copy of its data into a Google spreadsheet before using this approach.

Looking up data in another Excel workbook

Excel can use an external reference to a range in another Excel workbook. This is appropriate when the source is an Excel file and both workbooks are accessible to Excel. For example, suppose A2 contains a product code in the current workbook, and the open Prices.xlsx workbook has codes in column A, names in B, and prices in C on a worksheet called Products.

With the lookup code in A2 and the source table in columns A:C of the Products sheet in Prices.xlsx, =VLOOKUP(A2,'[Prices.xlsx]Products'!$A:$C,3,FALSE) returns 18.50 if the matching code’s price is 18.50. Excel may add a folder path to the reference when the source workbook is closed or stored elsewhere. The source workbook’s name and worksheet name must match the actual file.

External workbook links are not the same as links to a Google Sheets URL. If the source data exists only in Sheets, Excel VLOOKUP will not treat the Sheets web address as a normal worksheet range. Download or export the source data to an Excel workbook, or use an approved data connection or transfer process available to your organization. When you move either file, check whether Excel asks to update links and confirm that the results still reflect the intended source.

Choosing a reliable cross-app workflow

Choose the workflow based on which app should be the source of truth and how often the data changes. A one-time lookup has different needs from a shared price list that updates every day. These are common options:

One-time task: Copy the needed table into the same workbook or spreadsheet as the lookup formula. This is easy to inspect and avoids a fragile external dependency, but it will not update when the original table changes.
Google Sheets remains the source: Keep both datasets in Sheets, or use IMPORTRANGE to connect two Google spreadsheets. Confirm that the destination has permission to access the source.
Excel remains the source: Keep the table in an Excel workbook and use an external workbook reference, or consolidate the tables into one workbook when practical.
People use both apps: Agree on one authoritative copy and a clear handoff process. For example, export a dated Excel copy for analysis rather than maintaining two independently edited versions.

A linked formula is convenient but creates a dependency: the source location, file permissions, and column layout need to remain stable. A copied table is more self-contained but becomes stale unless refreshed manually. For a recurring process, document who updates the source and how the receiving file is refreshed.

Common errors and how to troubleshoot them

VLOOKUP problems often come from the shape or contents of the data rather than from a difference between apps. Check these points before rebuilding the formula:

#N/A: The lookup value was not found as an exact match. Check for extra spaces, different punctuation, or a number stored as text in one table and as a number in the other.
Wrong result: Confirm that the column index counts from the first column of the selected range. If the range starts at B, its third column is D, not column C.
Lookup column is not first: VLOOKUP searches only the range’s leftmost column. Rearrange or create a suitable lookup range, or use a different lookup method.
Approximate match returned unexpectedly: Use FALSE for exact matching. With TRUE or an omitted final argument, VLOOKUP may use approximate matching, which can return a misleading result if the data is not sorted as required.
External data is unavailable: For IMPORTRANGE, verify the URL, tab name, range text, and access permission. For Excel links, verify the workbook path and source worksheet.
Formula parse error in Sheets: Check the locale’s argument separator and confirm that quotation marks and parentheses are balanced.

For repeated use, consider converting the source range to a table in Excel or using a clearly bounded range in Sheets. A whole-column range can be convenient, but importing or recalculating unnecessarily large ranges may affect performance. Also decide how duplicate keys should be handled: VLOOKUP returns the first matching row it encounters, so duplicate product codes can hide later records.

Alternatives when VLOOKUP is not a good fit

VLOOKUP is a reasonable choice for a simple left-to-right lookup, especially when the formula must work in both apps. It becomes less convenient when the return column is to the left of the key, or when inserting columns could change the column index. In Microsoft 365 and Excel 2021 or later, XLOOKUP can search in either direction and makes the lookup and return ranges explicit. Google Sheets also has XLOOKUP. But if a file must be opened in older Excel versions, check compatibility before relying on newer functions.

INDEX and MATCH are another established option in Excel and Sheets, and can look to either side of the key column. For a small one-off task, though, using a more complex formula is not automatically better. A VLOOKUP with an exact match is often easier for a collaborator to recognize. No lookup function, including XLOOKUP, makes two separate cloud services share data without an accessible connection or an imported copy.

Frequently Asked Questions

Can I use the same VLOOKUP formula in Google Sheets and Excel?
Usually, yes, for a basic lookup over a range in the same file. Check locale-specific separators in Sheets and verify external references or other workbook features separately when converting files.

Can Excel VLOOKUP read a Google Sheets URL?
Not as a standard VLOOKUP range reference. Export or import the Google Sheets data into Excel, or use a suitable data-connection workflow, then look up values in the resulting accessible range.

Can Google Sheets VLOOKUP search an Excel file in Google Drive?
Not simply by using the Excel file’s Drive URL as the lookup range. Open or convert the file in Sheets, or bring the relevant data into a Google spreadsheet first. Review formulas and formatting after conversion.

Why does VLOOKUP return #N/A in one app but not the other?
Look for differences in stored data types, spaces, punctuation, duplicate keys, or the selected range. Also make sure the final argument requests an exact match when that is the intended behavior.

Does VLOOKUP update automatically when the source changes?
It recalculates when its referenced data is available and the spreadsheet updates. A local copied table does not refresh from its original file; a Sheets IMPORTRANGE or Excel external link depends on access, connection, and file-location settings.

Try it: the Date Difference Calculator: days, months, years and weekdays between two dates, with the DATEDIF formulas.

More in How-to basics

Sources: Function behaviour and menu paths: Microsoft Support documentation for Excel. Method & sources

Spotted an error in this guide? Let us know.