---
schema_version: "1"
id: 733bf0cdd0d13ea5b7375e206f51e21df2e0450f2a239b963eda44964c63317e
title: vlookup
collection: admin
version: current
locale: en-us
portal_url: https://docs.salesforce.com/admin/current/en-us/sales/264-0-0/spiff_function_ref_vlookup.md
canonical_url: https://help.salesforce.com/s/articleView?id=sales.spiff_function_ref_vlookup.htm&release=264.0.0&type=5
source_site: help.salesforce.com
content_type: documentation
content_hash: e58ede41858ff9d6c9dde6380432536431345b57558bf086263e4ef1281c76b9
description: References a value from a lookup table in Salesforce Spiff and returns the specified column expression for that value.
products:
  - Sales Cloud
  - Sales Enablement
release: "264"
---
# vlookup

References a value from a lookup table in Salesforce Spiff and returns the specified column expression for that value.

### Required Editions

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small edition"><colgroup><col></colgroup><tbody><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: both Salesforce Classic (not available in all orgs) and Lightning Experience</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available in: <strong>Enterprise</strong>, <strong>Unlimited</strong>, and <strong>Developer</strong> Editions</td></tr><tr class=""><td class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;">Available for an additional cost in: <strong>Professional</strong> Edition with Web Services API Enabled</td></tr></tbody></table>

## Syntax

```
vlookup(lookup_value, table, return_column, exact_match, default_value)
```

## Arguments

<table class="slds-table slds-table_bordered slds-max-medium-table_stacked slds-m-bottom_small ">
        <colgroup>
          <col style="width:20%">
          <col style="width:20%">
          <col style="width:60%">
        </colgroup>
        <thead class="slds-text-title_caps ">
          <tr class="">
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d83496e108">Argument</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d83496e111">Required?</th>
            <th scope="col" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" id="d83496e114">Description</th>
          </tr>
        </thead>
        <tbody>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Argument" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e108 "><samp class="parmname">lookup_value</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Required?" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e111 ">Required</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e114 ">The value to look up. You can also use a formula that results in a value.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Argument" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e108 "><samp class="parmname">table</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Required?" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e111 ">Required</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e114 ">The name of the lookup table.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Argument" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e108 "><samp class="parmname">return_column</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Required?" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e111 ">Optional</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e114 ">The name of the lookup table's specific return column, enclosed in double quotes. This argument is required only if the lookup table includes multiple return columns.</td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Argument" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e108 "><samp class="parmname">exact_match</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Required?" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e111 ">Optional</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e114 ">
              <p>A Boolean that specifies whether you want to look up an exact match for <samp class="parmname">lookup_value</samp>.
              </p>
              <ul>
                <li>To look up an exact, case-sensitive match, use <code>true</code>, which is the default value.</li>

                <li>To allow variation for capitalization and spaces, use <code>false</code>. For example, allow "sales manager" even when <samp class="parmname">lookup_value</samp> is "Sales Manager".</li>

              </ul>
            </td>

          </tr>
          <tr class="">
            <td data-label="Argument" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e108 "><samp class="parmname">default_value</samp></td>

            <td data-label="Required?" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e111 ">Optional</td>

            <td data-label="Description" class="slds-cell-wrap" style="vertical-align:top;" headers="d83496e114 ">A value to return when the function can't find a match for <samp class="parmname">lookup_value</samp> in the lookup table.</td>

          </tr>
        </tbody>
      </table>

## Example

Return the commission rate from the PayoutRates table for a BDR.

```
=vlookup("BDR", PayoutRates, "Rate", true, 0)
```

![An example of the vlookup function with a payout rates lookup table](https://sf-zdocs-cdn-prod.zoominsoftware.com/tdta-sales-sales_performance_management-264-0-0-production-enus/b1f2feb4-26b8-444f-97f7-be2349869d93/sales_performance_management/images/spiff/spiff_function_ref_vlookup.png)