We can use the outcome of this function to verify if a value from one column also exists in the other. The COUNTIFfunction counts the number of occurrences of a specified value in a range, and returns the count. If you want to compare two columns regardless of how many times they match, you need to use same approach as shown in "using formulas" section, but using different formulas.
The EXACT function compares two values and returns a Boolean value, which can be used for the logical test in an IF function.Ĭompare two columns in Excel using highlighting If you need to compare for exact values, use the EXACTfunction. So, there you have a quick way of comparing two lists with VLOOKUP.A comparison using the equal sign (=) will not be case-sensitive. To see if the list 1 entries are present in list 2, and This is the result we are after and really we want to combine the use of TRIMs, so we essentially use the same formula in both columns: We will end up with a result in B2 that looks like this:Įxcel puts curly braces around the formula, which indicates we are using an array formula. I won’t get into the details of an array formula, here as it’s quite complex, but it can help us to adjust the entire range within the formula.īUT, instead of pressing ‘Enter’, we press Ctrl + Shift + Enter at the same time. The way we do that is to use something called an ‘Array Formula’. What about the other side, where there is no extra space? Well, we need to adjust the center range that the VLOOKUP looks in (Column C) with the TRIM Formula. If we drag the formula all the way down, we get ‘Christopher Wallace’ (Highlighted in Yellow). So, for the second formula, we would re-write it like this We need to use the TRIM formula, which removes leading and trailing spaces from the contents of any cell. Well, this is a classic error that requires a bit of adjusting to the formulas. So, how do we account for this without having to concern ourselves with a visual inspection every time? I can reveal that after taking a closer look, it appears that the name ‘Christopher Wallace’ in List 2 has an extra space after it! If I do a visual inspection, I can see that ‘Christopher Wallace’ is in both lists, but his name hasn’t been verified in either with the VLOOKUP, why is it so? We can see that ‘Jeff Buckley’ and ‘Tim Buckley’ are the only names in List 1 that appear in List 2.ĭoing the same for the other side with the formula =VLOOKUP (C2, A: A, 1, 0) dragged all the way down, we get again, ‘Tim Buckley’ & ‘Jeff Buckley.’Īgain, ‘Tim Buckley’ & ‘Jeff Buckley’ Did we miss any values when comparing lists with VLOOKUP? Now, let’s drag this formula all the way down to B15. Once we press ‘Enter’, we can see the result is #N/A, which is Excel’s error for letting us know it can’t find what we are looking for. This formula will check if the contents of Cell A2 (Thom Yorke) exist in the List of Artists 2. All we need to do is to enter the following formula into cell B2 Now, we are going to use the trusty VLOOKUP formula.
I’m going to create a column to the right of each list (right-click on column B and select ‘Insert’) and label it ‘does Artist exist in other lists?’ At first, let’s prepare the space on the sheet. Well, the task is to see if artists in List 1 are in List 2 AND vice versa. I’ve got a List of Artists 1 and a List of Artists 2 (spot your favorites!) So, with that said, let’s go forth and use the trusty VLOOKUP to get this done.
It’s not a lengthy guide on the subject, anyhow George will answer your queries!
Compare two columns in excel verification#
It’s not some complex report or analysis we are building, it is just verification and that’s the premise of this quick guide. Simply, we just want to confirm if data exists for investigative reasons. Now, unless you are prepared to spend some time using VBA to do complex scripting, you won’t get a precise result.
We want to see if one ‘bunch’ of data exists within another bunch of data. Compare Two Columns In Excel Using VLOOKUP
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