"Did Not Find Value in VLOOKUP Evaluation" Error
What it means: The search key you asked VLOOKUP to find does not exist in the first column of the table range — at least not in a form that matches exactly.
Quick fix
=IFERROR(VLOOKUP(TRIM(A2), Sheet2!A:B, 2, FALSE), "Not found")
Force an exact match with FALSE, strip stray spaces with TRIM, and wrap in IFERROR so missing keys show a clear message instead of an error.
Why you see Did not find value in VLOOKUP evaluation — and how to fix each cause
1. The value genuinely isn't in the first column
VLOOKUP only searches the first column of the range you give it. If your key lives in column B, it will never be found.
Fix: Re-point the range so its first column contains the lookup key, or use INDEX/MATCH which can search any column.
=INDEX(Sheet2!C:C, MATCH(A2, Sheet2!B:B, 0))
2. Trailing spaces or different text case
“Apple ” with a trailing space won't match “Apple”.
Fix: Wrap the key and/or column in TRIM, and remember exact match is case-insensitive but space-sensitive.
3. Numbers stored as text (or vice-versa)
A key of 100 (number) won't match “100” (text) in the table.
Fix: Make both sides the same type — multiply text-numbers by 1, or format the column as plain text consistently.
Before and after
| Broken | Working |
|---|---|
=VLOOKUP(A2, Sheet2!B:C, 2, FALSE) (key is in column B, not the first column) |
=INDEX(Sheet2!C:C, MATCH(A2, Sheet2!B:B, 0)) |
Switch to INDEX/MATCH when the value you match on isn't in the left-most column.
How to stop it happening again
Always pass FALSE as the last VLOOKUP argument for exact matching, keep your lookup key in the first column of the range, and clean incoming data with TRIM so invisible spaces don't break matches.
FAQ
Why does the value look like it's there but still isn't found?
Usually a hidden difference: a trailing space, a number stored as text, or the key sitting outside the first column of your range.
Is INDEX/MATCH better here?
Often yes — INDEX/MATCH can look up a value in any column, not just the left-most one, which removes the most common cause of this error.
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