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#NULL! Error in Excel: Causes and Fixes

Nothing is worse than encountering a #NULL! error in the middle of a critical project, especially when you're trying to merge data from two different spreadsheets. By the end of this post, you'll be able to identify the causes of the #NULL! error and learn how to fix it using various methods.

The #NULL! error occurs when Excel is unable to find an intersection of two ranges. This error is common when using the VLOOKUP function or when working with merged data.

Scenario-Based Example

Imagine you have a dataset of 5,000 Sales IDs and corresponding customer names. You want to merge this data with another spreadsheet containing sales amounts. If the data is not properly aligned, you may encounter the #NULL! error.

=VLOOKUP(A2, SalesData, 2, FALSE)

One common mistake that leads to the #NULL! error is using the wrong range or incorrect column index.

Real-World Example

Suppose you have the following data:

If you use the VLOOKUP function to merge this data with sales amounts, you may encounter the #NULL! error if the data is not properly aligned.

=VLOOKUP(A2, SalesData, 3, FALSE)

When things go wrong, here are some common error scenarios and their fixes:

1. #NULL! error due to incorrect range: Verify that the range is correct and adjust it as needed.
2. #NULL! error due to incorrect column index: Check the column index and adjust it to match the correct column.
3. #NULL! error due to merged data: Use the INDEX and MATCH functions to merge data instead of VLOOKUP.

To learn more about the INDEX and MATCH functions, visit INDEX and MATCH. You can also use the IFERROR function to handle errors, learn more at IFERROR.

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