What is the HLOOKUP Function
The HLOOKUP function searches for a value in the first row of a table and returns a value from a row you specify in the same column. It is the horizontal version of VLOOKUP and is useful when your data is organized in rows rather than columns.
Formula: =HLOOKUP(lookup_value, table_array, row_index_num, [range_lookup])
Practical Example 1
Row 1 contains month names and row 2 contains sales. Find the sales for March.
Type: =HLOOKUP(Mar, A1:F2, 2, FALSE)
Result: the sales value for March
Practical Example 2
Find a price from a horizontal price table.
Type: =HLOOKUP(ProductCode, A1:Z10, 5, FALSE)
Result: the price in row 5 of the matching column
Practical Example 3
Use TRUE for approximate match when the first row is sorted.
Type: =HLOOKUP(Score, A1:Z10, 2, TRUE)
Result: the grade for that score range
When to Use It
HLOOKUP is used when your data is laid out horizontally, such as month-wise targets across columns, product pricing matrices, and any horizontal lookup table where the lookup row is at the top.