Excel University Blog
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XLOOKUP
Have you ever opened an old workbook and stared at a formula packed with nested RIGHT, LEN, FIND, INDEX, and MATCH functions, wondering if there is a cleaner way? There is. Copilot in Excel can read those legacy formulas, figure out exactly what they do, and replace them with modern Excel functions that are easier…
For accountants who rely on Excel daily, knowing when to use XLOOKUP versus VLOOKUP can save hours of rework and eliminate costly lookup errors. The short answer: XLOOKUP is the more powerful, flexible replacement for VLOOKUP in nearly every accounting scenario — but understanding why helps you use both tools with confidence. Here’s a practical…
Excel’s XLOOKUP function provides a flexible and powerful tool for retrieving data. It removes many of the limitations of older lookup functions (yes, I’m looking at you VLOOKUP). In this post, we’ll build a foundational understanding of XLOOKUP, walk through practical applications step-by-step, and unlock best practices for common scenarios. Video What is XLOOKUP? A…
When working with messy data, we often turn to Excel, but with the rise of AI tools like ChatGPT, we now have new ways to tackle these challenges. In this post, we’ll compare Excel and ChatGPT side by side, using three common data tasks: We’ll see how each tool handles the job, the pros and…
When working with drop down lists in Excel, creating dependent drop downs that dynamically adapt based on a primary choice is both powerful and time-saving. This post walks through setting up rows of dependent drop downs and concludes with a method to notify users when a secondary choice becomes invalid. Let’s dive in! Video Step-by-step…
Removing duplicates in Excel is a common task, but what if you want more control than the Remove Duplicates command provides? Maybe you need a formula to handle duplicates dynamically. In this guide, we’ll cover how to remove duplicates from a single column, handle multiple columns, and use formulas for various scenarios like summing, finding…
Hello, and welcome to this deep dive into the fascinating world of Excel’s XLOOKUP function—specifically using it with RegEx (Regular Expressions). In this post, we’ll cover the basics of XLOOKUP, explore the new RegEx match mode, and demonstrate some practical examples. Whether you’re already familiar with XLOOKUP or just starting out, there’s something here for…
Hello and welcome! Today, we’re diving into XLOOKUP with multiple conditions. This topic is incredibly handy when working with datasets where you need to match data across multiple columns. We’ll explore three different approaches: using concatenation, Boolean arrays, and the FILTER function to retrieve data based on multiple criteria. Let’s jump right in! Video Table…
This article will help you navigate the waters of common XLOOKUP errors and issues. We’ll first begin by identifying errors, issues, and unexpected results. Then we’ll talk about specific ways to avoid and address each one. I hope this article will help you be able to use this wonderful function more effectively in your workbooks!…
I was recently asked the following question: “I have a drop-down with 25+ categories that determines the fee percentage. Can I use an IF function to compute the fee based on the selected category?” I answer this question in this post. Video Objective Let’s begin by understanding the objective and the question. There is an…