How to Do a Vlookup Over Multiple Google Sheets?

If you work with data in Google Sheets, you’re likely familiar with the VLOOKUP function.

It’s a powerful tool that allows you to search for a value in one column and return a corresponding value from another column.

But what if you need to perform a VLOOKUP across multiple Google Sheets? This might sound daunting, but it’s actually quite manageable once you understand the process.

In this blog post, we’ll walk you through the steps to perform a VLOOKUP over multiple Google Sheets, complete with examples and an FAQ section.

Steps to Perform VLOOKUP Across Multiple Sheets

Step 1: Prepare Your Data

First, ensure that your data is well-organized. Let’s say we have two sheets: Sheet1 and Sheet2. In Sheet1, you have a list of employee IDs, and in Sheet2, you have additional information about these employees, like their names and departments.

Example Dataset:

Sheet1 (Employee IDs):

Sheet2 (Employee Details):

Step 2: Use the IMPORTRANGE Function

To perform a VLOOKUP across multiple sheets, you’ll need to use the IMPORTRANGE function. This function allows you to import a range of cells from another spreadsheet.

Syntax for IMPORTRANGE:

IMPORTRANGE(spreadsheet_url, range_string)

• spreadsheet_url: The URL of the spreadsheet from which you want to import data.
• range_string: The specific range of cells you want to import.

Let’s assume the URL of Sheet2 is https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/your-spreadsheet-id/edit. To import data from Sheet2, follow these steps:

Where to Enter the Formula:

1. Open Sheet1.
2. Click on cell B1.

Enter the formula:

=IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/your-spreadsheet-id/edit", "Sheet2!A:B")

This will import the data from columns A and B of Sheet2 into Sheet1.

Step 3: Perform the VLOOKUP

Now that you’ve imported the data from Sheet2 into Sheet1, you can perform the VLOOKUP. Follow these steps:

Where to Enter the Formula:

1. Open Sheet1.
2. Click on cell B2.

Enter the formula:

=VLOOKUP(A2, IMPORTRANGE("https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/your-spreadsheet-id/edit", "Sheet2!A:B"), 2, FALSE)

• A2: The cell in Sheet1 containing the employee ID you’re looking up.
• IMPORTRANGE(...): The range of cells imported from Sheet2.
• 2: The column index from which to return the value (in this case, the Name column from Sheet2).
• FALSE: Indicates that you want an exact match.

Step 4: Allow Access Between Sheets

The first time you use IMPORTRANGE, Google Sheets will prompt you to allow access between the sheets. Follow these steps:

1. After entering the formula in cell B2 of Sheet1, a prompt will appear.
2. Click “Allow access” to grant permission.

This is essential for the function to work properly.

Common Issues and Troubleshooting

Issue: #REF! Error

If you see a #REF! error, it’s likely because you haven’t allowed access between the sheets. Ensure you click “Allow access” when prompted.

Example:

Issue:

#REF!

Solution:

Make sure you click “Allow access” in the Google Sheets prompt.

Issue: #N/A Error

A #N/A error indicates that the lookup value isn’t found in the target range. Double-check that the value exists in both sheets and that there are no typos.

Example:

Issue:

#N/A

Solution:

Ensure the employee ID exists in both Sheet1 and Sheet2.

FAQs

Q: Can I perform a VLOOKUP across more than two sheets?

A: Yes, you can use multiple IMPORTRANGE functions to bring in data from several sheets and then use VLOOKUP as needed.

Q: Do I need to keep both sheets open for IMPORTRANGE to work?

A: No, once you’ve set up the IMPORTRANGE function and allowed access, it will continue to work even if one of the sheets is closed.

Q: How do I update the data if something changes in Sheet2?

A: Google Sheets automatically updates the data imported using IMPORTRANGE. There’s no need for manual updates.

Q: Can I use other functions with IMPORTRANGE?

A: Yes, you can combine IMPORTRANGE with other functions like SUM, AVERAGE, or any other function that works with ranges.

Conclusion

Performing a VLOOKUP across multiple Google Sheets is straightforward once you get the hang of using IMPORTRANGE.

By following the steps outlined above, you can easily pull data from different sheets and use it in your calculations or reports.

Happy spreadsheeting!