Check if Cell value exists in Column, and then get the value of the NEXT Cell

How to Check If a Cell Value Exists in Column and Get the Value of the Next Cell

Are you struggling with checking if a cell value exists in a column and then retrieving the value of the next cell? It can be a bit tricky, but fear not! We've got you covered with some easy solutions.

The Problem

Let's start by understanding the problem at hand. You want to check if the value in a specific cell, let's say A1, exists in a column (B). If there's a match, you want to retrieve the value of the cell next to it (C).

The Solution

To solve this problem, we'll break it down into two parts:

Part 1: Checking if the Value Exists in Column

First, we need to check if the value in A1 exists in column B. For this, we can use the MATCH function combined with an IF statement:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1, B:B, 0)), "No Match", "Match")

This formula checks if a match exists and returns "Match" if a match is found, otherwise it returns "No Match".

Part 2: Retrieving the Value of the Next Cell

Once we know there's a match, we can retrieve the value of the cell next to it. To achieve this, we'll need to append the row number returned by the MATCH function with the column letter (C in this case).

However, the formula you tried (=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1,B:B, 0)), "No Match", C&MATCH(A1,B:B, 0))) won't work because the concatenation symbol (&) is missing quotes around the column letter.

Here's the correct formula:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1, B:B, 0)), "No Match", C&MATCH(A1, B:B, 0))

By adding the quotes around the column letter, we ensure that the formula concatenates the correct column letter with the row number.

Example

Let's illustrate this with an example. Assume A1 contains the value you want to search for, and you have values in the B and C columns. To check if the value exists in column B and retrieve the value in the next cell (C), use the following formulas:

For checking if the value exists:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1, B:B, 0)), "No Match", "Match")

For retrieving the value in the next cell:

=IF(ISERROR(MATCH(A1, B:B, 0)), "No Match", C&MATCH(A1, B:B, 0))

Conclusion

You no longer have to scratch your head in frustration when trying to check if a cell value exists in a column and retrieve the value of the next cell. By breaking down the problem and using the provided formulas, you'll be able to solve it effortlessly.

Go ahead and give it a try in your spreadsheet! Don't forget to share your experience in the comments below and let us know if you found this guide helpful. Happy Excel-ing! 😉