Excel Dynamic Lookup Table with INDIRECT

Figure 1. of Dynamic Lookup Table with INDIRECT.

In order to apply a Dynamic Lookup Table in our Excel worksheet, we are going to utilize the Excel INDIRECT function together with a specific cell range inside of the VLOOKUP operation syntax. This tutorial will step through the process.

Generic Formula

=VLOOKUP(A1,INDIRECT("text"),column)

This is essentially a VLOOKUP operation syntax. However, the INDIRECT operation is also applied to determine a valid table range.

How to use the VLOOKUP and INDIRECT Function in Excel.

Our purpose here is to provide an easy way to switch the ranges of our tables within a VLOOKUP Function.

We can achieve this by following 3 simple steps!

1. Collate our data values in the form of Tables in our Excel sheet.

Prepare separate Tables for data values and our dynamic Lookup Table, in the example illustrated below, we have created two named ranges/tables table 1=A3:C4 and table 2=A7:C8

Figure 2. of Dynamic Lookup Table in Excel.

2. Input the following formula syntax into the formula bar for cell G4;

=VLOOKUP(F4,INDIRECT(A3:C4),2,0)

Figure 3. of Dynamic Lookup Table with INDIRECT Function in Excel.

The INDIRECT function will select the table 1 cell range and resolves it with the table 2 cell range which is then determined by the VLOOKUP function

VLOOKUP executes the lookup operation and calculates our specified colour, blue as 12 in Table 1 of our worksheet illustration.

3. Copy and paste a  modified formula into cell G5 to get the result for Table 2. See example illustrated below;

Figure 4. of Dynamic Lookup Table with INDIRECT Function in Excel.

The objective of the Dynamic Lookup Table with INDIRECT Function is to provide us with an easy method of switching table ranges inside a Lookup function.

Figure 5. of Final Result.

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