The lookup function in Excel can save you a lot of time and effort, but only if you actually know how to use its many forms and alterations.

VLOOKUP and Search are two functions that Excel uses to search for text. VLOOKUP finds data in a column and returns the contents of an adjacent cell.

The Row function in Microsoft Excel is a Lookup and Reference function, and its purpose is to return the row number of a reference. The formula for the Row function is Row([reference]).

A little from column A, a little from column B: XLOOKUP is the new, easier way to retrieve information across Excel spreadsheets.

As a long-term Excel enthusiast, I have always enjoyed using VLOOKUP, one of Excel's best-known lookup functions. However, Microsoft's introduction of XLOOKUP in 2019 changed everything.