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Fixing inconsistent results in INDEX-MATCH formula when lookup values repeat

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Are you struggling with inconsistent results in your INDEX-MATCH formula when dealing with repeating lookup values? You're not alone. Many users face this challenge, especially when trying to extract precise data from complex datasets. In this discussion, we'll explore a refined approach that allows you to accurately retrieve values based on multiple criteria without resorting to helper columns.

Hi everyone, I’m working with a dataset where I need to return a price based on both Product and Region, but my current INDEX+MATCH formula only matches the first occurrence and gives the wrong result when values repeat; for example, with data like Apple-East-10, Apple-West-12, Orange-East-8, Orange-West-9, when my lookup inputs are Product = Apple and Region = West, my formula =INDEX(C2:C5,MATCH(A9,A2:A5,0)) returns 10 instead of 12 because it only checks the first match; so far I’ve tried adding a helper column combining Product and Region, experimenting with nested MATCH, and attempting XLOOKUP, and I also reviewed a detailed Excel functions guide online to better understand lookup logic and why this happens (spreadsheetpoint), but I still haven’t found a clean formula solution that handles multiple criteria without helper columns, so I’m looking for a correct formula approach that will return 12 for this case.

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