Have you ever been working in Excel and when using the VLOOKUP function, you’re met with an error that says "vlookup evaluates to an out of bounds range"? Frustrating, isn’t it? Well, don’t worry! This article will guide you through the steps to resolve this error quickly and efficiently. Essentially, this error occurs when the range of cells you’re trying to search in VLOOKUP doesn’t match the number of columns you’re telling it to look at. Let’s dive in and get this sorted out!<\/p>\n
Before we get into the nitty-gritty, let’s understand what we’re aiming to achieve. The following steps will help you fix the VLOOKUP out of bounds range error so that your formula works correctly and returns the results you need.<\/p>\n
Ensure that your VLOOKUP formula is correct and that all the references are accurate.
\nVLOOKUP can sometimes be tricky to handle, especially when dealing with large datasets. One small mistake in the formula can result in the "out of bounds range" error. Therefore, it’s essential to double-check your formula. Make sure that the lookup value, table array, column index number, and the range lookup argument are all correct.<\/p>\n
Adjust the range in your VLOOKUP formula to match the number of columns you’re referencing.
\nIf you’ve told VLOOKUP to look in a range that’s say, four columns wide, but then you’ve only given a column index number that’s outside of those four columns, you’ve gone out of bounds. For example, if your range is A1:D100, your column index number should be between 1 and 4.<\/p>\n
Convert the cell range in your VLOOKUP formula to absolute references by adding dollar signs ($).
\nWhen you’re copying formulas down a column or across a row, relative references change. This could potentially cause the "out of bounds range" error if the VLOOKUP formula adjusts itself to look at the wrong range. To prevent this, use absolute references (like $A$1:$D$100) to lock the range.<\/p>\n
Make your table array larger if the column index number is correct but you’re still getting the error.
\nThis might seem counterintuitive, but sometimes your dataset might be larger than you initially thought. If your VLOOKUP is saying "out of bounds," maybe it’s because the data you want to look at is actually outside the range you’ve defined. In this case, expanding your table array to include the additional data can resolve the error.<\/p>\n
Once you’ve completed these steps, your VLOOKUP function should be error-free. You’ll be able to match and pull data from your chosen range without any hiccups, making your data analysis much smoother and more efficient.<\/p>\n
"Out of bounds range" in VLOOKUP means that the column index number you’ve specified is not within the range of the table array you’ve defined.<\/p>\n
No, VLOOKUP can only search for values in the first column of the table array and return values from columns to the right.<\/p>\n
Yes, by ensuring your table array encompasses all the columns you need to reference and by using absolute references.<\/p>\n
Relative references change when a formula is copied to another cell, whereas absolute references remain constant no matter where they are copied.<\/p>\n
Yes, you can use the INDEX and MATCH functions together as an alternative to VLOOKUP, which can offer more flexibility.<\/p>\n
Dealing with VLOOKUP errors can be a real pain, but with a bit of patience and careful attention to detail, you can get past them. Remember, it’s all about ensuring that the range you’ve told VLOOKUP to look at matches the column index number you’ve given it. Keep the tips in mind as they’ll help prevent future errors, and don’t hesitate to use Excel’s error checking feature to your advantage. With the step-by-step guide provided, you should be able to tackle the "vlookup evaluates to an out of bounds range" error with confidence, and make your data work for you. Happy Excel-ing!<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
Struggling with VLOOKUP errors? Learn how to fix out of bounds range issues and get your Excel formulas working smoothly.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_jetpack_memberships_contains_paid_content":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"jetpack_sharing_enabled":true,"jetpack_featured_media_url":"","_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=375"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":655,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/375\/revisions\/655"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=375"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=375"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/qbigpro.com\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=375"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}