Meaning of the individual parameters:
- Search criterion: Here you enter the value you are searching for. This can either be a number or text, which you then put in quotation marks.
- Search array: At this point, you enter the cell range to be searched. The from-to area is marked with a colon.
- Match type: This information is optional. This specifies how exactly the search should be performed. The specification -1 finds the smallest value that is greater than or equal to the search criterion; 1 is the largest value that is less than or equal to the search criterion; 0 just searches for an exact match.
If you leave the last item blank, Excel will automatically assume 1. If you choose one of the two match types that do not search for an exact match, the values in the search area must be sorted; ascending for type 1 and descending for type -1.
It is also possible to specify the search array, not in the form of cell references, but to write values directly into the cell. The values are then entered in curly brackets and separated with semicolons.
Excel does not take uppercase and lowercase into account when searching, even if you’re looking for an exact match. In addition, the search criterion does not have to be entered directly in the function. Instead, the term orvalue to be found may be in another cell which you simply refer to.