WRONG RESULTWrong result
Check that every range starts and ends on the same rows, and that numbers are stored as numbers.
LOOKUP & REFERENCE · GOOGLE SHEETS
Verified by JosephineReviewed July 25, 2026✓
MATCH
return the position of a matching value.
Use MATCH to find where a value appears. This guide shows the exact structure, a working example and the mistakes most likely to break it.
Verified by JosephineReviewed July 25, 2026✓THE FORMULA
=MATCH(search_key, range, [search_type])A
search_keyvalue to find
B
rangeone-dimensional search area
C
search_type0 for exact match
TRY IT YOURSELFChange the sheet.
Change the sheet.
Watch the answer update.
Edit any highlighted cell below. The example recalculates immediately.
| A · ID | B · TEAM | C · AMOUNT | |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2 | |||
| 3 | |||
| 4 | |||
| 5 |
RESULT
2Updates liveTry changing a value above. This example runs entirely in your browser.
IN PLAIN ENGLISHHow the formula
How the formula
thinks.
- 01
search_keyvalue to find
- 02
rangeone-dimensional search area
- 03
search_type0 for exact match
COMMON FIXESWhen MATCH
When MATCH
doesn’t behave.
FORMULA PARSE ERRORFormula parse error
Check commas, quotation marks and closing parentheses. Your locale may use semicolons instead of commas.
UNEXPECTED BLANKSUnexpected blanks
Test the source cells for hidden spaces, empty strings and inconsistent data types.