What type of value does the VLOOKUP function return?

The VLOOKUP function is designed to search for a specified value in the leftmost column of a table and return a corresponding value from a different column in the same row. When you use VLOOKUP, you typically provide it with a lookup value (the item you want to find), a table array where the search will take place, the column index number from which to pull the information, and an optional range lookup argument that determines whether you want an exact match or an approximate match.

The returned value is directly related to the specified lookup value and corresponds to the matching row's entry in the given column of the table. This means that the primary purpose of VLOOKUP is to retrieve specific data associated with the lookup value, reinforcing that it provides the matching value from the table rather than any addresses, random selections, or aggregated data like averages.