How do you find matching values in two columns?
John Johnson
Updated on February 21, 2026
Compare Two Columns and Highlight Matches
- Select the entire data set.
- Click the Home tab.
- In the Styles group, click on the ‘Conditional Formatting’ option.
- Hover the cursor on the Highlight Cell Rules option.
- Click on Duplicate Values.
- In the Duplicate Values dialog box, make sure ‘Duplicate’ is selected.
How do I compare two columns in a match sheet?
Below are the steps to search columns for matching data:
- Select the top cell in the comparison column (yellow arrow).
- Enter the formula =VLOOKUP(Comparison Cell, Comparison Column Range, Retrieve Value, Exact or Approximate Comparison) (blue arrow).
How do you match two columns in Excel and return a value?
Option one
- Go to cell E2 and enter the formula =IF(ISNUMBER(MATCH(D2,$A$2:$A$20,0)),INDEX(Sheet5!$B$2:$B$20,MATCH(Sheet5!
- Press ENTER key to get the matching content on the E2.
- Copy the formula to the rest of the cells using Autofill feature or drag the fill handle down to cells you want to copy the formula.
How do you Vlookup match data in two columns?
Follow these steps to compare two columns in Excel.
- Click the Compare two columns worksheet tab in the VLOOKUP Advanced Sample file.
- Add columns in your workbook so you have space for results.
- Type the first VLOOKUP formula in cell E2:
- Click Enter on your keyboard and drag the VLOOKUP formula down through cell C17.
How do I match two lists in Excel?
A Ridiculously easy and fun way to compare 2 lists
- Select cells in both lists (select first list, then hold CTRL key and then select the second)
- Go to Conditional Formatting > Highlight Cells Rules > Duplicate Values.
- Press ok.
- There is nothing do here. Go out and play!
How does Index match multiple columns?
We use INDEX MATCH with multiple criteria by following these 5 steps:
- Step 1: Understanding the foundation.
- Step 2: Insert a normal MATCH INDEX formula.
- Step 3: Change the lookup value to 1.
- Step 4: Enter the criteria.
- Step 5: Ctrl + Shift + Enter.
How do you compare two columns and delete matches in Google Sheets?
The simplest way to compare two columns is to find exact row matches. All this calls for is just a row-by-row comparison. Google sheets just need to see which rows have the same values and which ones have different values and display the result in a third, blank column.
How do you compare two data?
Common graphical displays (e.g., dotplots, boxplots, stemplots, bar charts) can be effective tools for comparing data from two or more data sets.
How do you match 3 columns in Excel and return a value?
=IF(AND(A1=A2,A2=A3),”MATCH”, “NOMATCH”) – to see if values from three cells match. Works the same for cells in different columns. 2. IFS(A2>10,1,AND(A2>25,B2>25),2) to compare values.
How do you compare two Excel sheets and highlight the difference?
In the worksheet where you want to highlight differences, select all used cells. For this, click the upper left cell of the used range, usually A1, and press Ctrl + Shift + End to extend the selection to the last used cell. Where Sheet2 is the name of the other sheet you are comparing.
How many columns are there in a matching question?
Matching questions consist of two columns, typically one column is on the left and one column is on the right. We will refer to the left side as ‘Clues’ and the right side as ‘Matches’. The objective is to pair the clues on the left side with their matches on the right.
How to look for match with 2 columns with another 2?
The rows in Column A and B will be copied and pasted into another sheet if it matches any of the rows in Column D and E. I pieced this together with some comments to help you understand the approach. This uses an array that isn’t seen on the sheet. This is similar to a “helper column” if you were to put on in Column F to concatenate your values.
How to compare two columns for case sensitive matches in Excel?
Compare two lists for case-sensitive matches in the same row As you have probably noticed, the formulas from the previous example ignore case when comparing text values, as in row 10 in the screenshot above. If you want to find case-sensitive matches between 2 columns in each row, then use the EXACT function: =IF (EXACT (A2, B2), “Match”, “”)
When is an asterisk considered a match in Excel?
In the above example, the asterisk (*) is a wildcard character that can represent any number of characters. When the lookup value is flanked with it on both sides, any value in Column 1 which contains the lookup value in Column 2 would be considered as a match.