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benmckeown's avatar
benmckeown
Copper Contributor
Feb 29, 2024

Auto Paste Special Vlookup

I currently have a spreadsheet which vlookups data from another tab within an excel workbook. I was wondering if there's a way for excel to automatically paste the value it has found if the lookup e...
excel
Formulas and Functions
office 365
NikolinoDE's avatar
NikolinoDE
Gold Contributor
Mar 01, 2024

benmckeown 

 

You can maybe achieve this by using a combination of VLOOKUP function and some additional Excel features. Here's how you can set it up:

  1. Using VLOOKUP:
    • In the cell where you want the value to be pasted, use the VLOOKUP function to retrieve the value based on the lookup value.
    • For example, if your lookup value is in cell A1 and you want to retrieve the value from another tab in the workbook, you can use a formula like this:

=VLOOKUP(A1, 'OtherTab'!A:B, 2, FALSE)

Replace 'OtherTab'!A:B with the range in the other tab where your lookup table is located, and adjust the column index number (in this case, 2) to match the column from which you want to retrieve the value.

  1. Using Paste Special:
  • Once you've entered the VLOOKUP formula and obtained the desired value, you can use Paste Special to convert the formula to a static value.
  • Select the cell with the VLOOKUP formula.
  • Right-click and choose "Copy" or press Ctrl+C to copy the cell.
  • Right-click again on the same cell or another cell where you want to paste the value.
  • Choose "Paste Special" from the context menu.
  • In the Paste Special dialog box, select "Values" and click OK. This will paste only the value, removing the formula.
  1.  Automating the Process:
  • You can automate this process by using an event-based VBA macro that triggers whenever a change occurs in the lookup value cell.
  • Create a VBA macro that runs a Paste Special operation whenever the lookup value cell changes.

For example:

Vba code is untested, please backup your file in advance.

 

Private Sub Worksheet_Change(ByVal Target As Range)
    If Not Intersect(Target, Range("A1")) Is Nothing Then ' Adjust the range as needed
        Application.EnableEvents = False ' Disable events to prevent recursive triggering
        Target.PasteSpecial Paste:=xlPasteValues ' Paste values only
        Application.EnableEvents = True ' Re-enable events
    End If
End Sub

 

    • This macro will trigger whenever there is a change in cell A1 (or any other specified cell), and it will automatically paste the value obtained from the VLOOKUP formula as a static value.

By following these steps, you can ensure that the value obtained from the VLOOKUP formula is automatically pasted as a static value, even if the lookup value is deleted from the other tab. This helps to maintain the integrity of your data even if the source data changes.The text was created with the help of AI.

 

Please note that the availability of certain features and the user interface layout may vary slightly between different versions of Excel. Additionally, Excel Online (Excel for the web) may have limitations compared to the desktop version of Excel, particularly regarding VBA macros and form controls. Therefore, some features may not be available or may function differently in Excel Online.

 

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My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!

 

Hope this will help you.

 

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