MATCH Function in Excel
Intermediate
Searches for a specified item in a range of cells, and then returns the relative position of that item in the range.
Syntax
=MATCH(lookup_value, lookup_array, [match_type])Example
Use Case
Find the position of 'Apple' in a list of fruits.
Common Errors to Avoid
- #N/A error when value not found with exact match (match_type 0)
- Unexpected results when using 1 or -1 match_type on unsorted data
- Case-insensitive matching can return wrong position
Pro Tips
Always use 0 for exact match unless you have a specific need for approximate matching. Combine with INDEX for powerful two-way lookups. Use IFERROR to handle not-found cases gracefully.
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