MATCH function in Excel: uses, formula or syntax and examples

The MATCH function in Excel is used to indicate the position of the cell in a table of contents. Easy to use, but you need to know its components.

Therefore, in this article we will teach you how to how to use the MATCH function in Excel quickly and easily. With this you will have tools to simplify searches in the program.

Syntax

The MATCH function in Excel is made up of the following elements:

• search_value: is a mandatory element since it is the value you want to search for. It can be a number, text string, logical value, or a cell reference.
• search_array: It is also mandatory since it is the range of cells where the search will be performed.
• match_type: is an optional argument that indicates the correctness of the search. The following values ​​will define the type of accuracy:
  • 1 or omitted: Excel will search for the largest value that is less than or equal to the searched value.
  • 0: Excel will only search for exact matches.
  • -1– The program will search for the smallest value that is equal to or greater than the searched value.

How to use the MATCH function in Excel?

To use the MATCH function in Excel you can do the following steps:

1. Enter all the data into an Excel sheet. For this example, there will be a FIFA ranking of teams. In an empty cell, enter “=MATCH(”.
2. Now in “search_value”, click on a cell to create a reference. This way you will only have to change the data you insert. Add a comma to continue with the next argument.
3. In “search_array”, select the range of cells by clicking and holding from the first box to the last to complete the column. In this case it is “A2:A30”. Enter another comma.
4. In “match_type” will be written zero (0) since an exact match is desired.
5. Close parentheses and press “Enter”. Remember to write a value in the reference cell so that the formula works correctly and does not throw the “#N/A” error.

Observations

When using the MATCH function you must take into account the following aspects:

• If match type zero (0) is used, the function will search for the cell with the exact valueTherefore, the name or number must be written accurately, without adding unnecessary blank spaces and incorporating the accents that correspond to the word.
• The function is not case sensitive.
• The “#N/A” error appears when the function does not find a match.

In conclusion, you can use the MATCH function in Excel to locate and know the position of a particular value within the spreadsheet.