Google Sheets VLOOKUP #N/A: check the key, range and spaces

VLOOKUP searches the leftmost column of its range. If the key is in column B, the selected range must begin at B, not A. The return-column number counts within that range. When copying a formula, keep a fixed lookup table fixed with absolute references so the search area does not slide past the data.

Use FALSE for an exact match. Leaving the final argument out uses approximate matching, which needs the search column sorted in ascending order and can return an unintended row. Do not switch to approximate matching just to remove #N/A from a missing customer or product identifier. Confirm that the requested key actually exists.

Leading or trailing spaces can make seemingly identical keys differ. In a spare cell, try =TRIM(A2) to inspect a cleaned text key; preserve the original column while comparing. TRIM removes ordinary leading, trailing and repeated spaces, leaving single spaces between words. It does not remove non-breaking spaces. For imported text that still differs, inspect the source value or replace the unwanted character explicitly.

Check the search key and lookup column consistently, including whether numeric keys are stored as text. Keep meaningful identifier formatting when cleaning data. IFNA can supply a fallback when a genuinely absent key is expected, but does not repair a wrong range or dirty key. If the result remains unexpected, test with a known key copied from the first lookup column before changing the whole sheet.