How do you do a VLOOKUP between two Excel files on a Mac?

By Kayabyte · Last updated 2 November 2026

Excel for Mac can do it: write VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP and point the lookup range at the other workbook. With both files open, select the range in the other workbook while typing the formula and Excel writes the reference for you. Gridhand does not do lookups and has no formula helpers. What it can do is get the keys ready (Clean), show which rows differ between two files (Compare) and stack rows (Merge).

In Excel for Mac

Open both workbooks. In the one that needs the extra column, type =VLOOKUP(A2, and then switch to the other workbook and select the table range, including the key column as its first column.
Finish with the column number and FALSE for an exact match: =VLOOKUP(A2,[Prices.xlsx]Sheet1!$A:$C,2,FALSE). Excel inserts the file and sheet reference itself.
In Excel 365, 2021 and 2024 for Mac you can use XLOOKUP instead: =XLOOKUP(A2,[Prices.xlsx]Sheet1!$A:$A,[Prices.xlsx]Sheet1!$B:$B,"not found"). Microsoft’s XLOOKUP page lists Excel for Microsoft 365 for Mac, Excel 2024 for Mac and Excel 2021 for Mac, and says XLOOKUP is not available in Excel 2016 and 2019.
Fill the formula down.

When the other workbook is closed, Excel adds the file path to the formula. Microsoft’s page on workbook links says links are treated as potentially unsafe and must be enabled when you open the file (Enable Content); if you do not, Excel keeps the last values and does not refresh the links. To avoid links altogether, copy the lookup sheet into your workbook with Move or Copy Sheet and look up inside one file. Checked against Microsoft’s support pages on 2 November 2026; the workbook links page shows Windows and web steps, not Mac-specific ones, so menus on your Mac may differ a little.

Common errors

#N/A: with exact match it means the key is not in the first column of the lookup range. Microsoft’s VLOOKUP page advises an exact match (FALSE or 0).
Numbers stored as text: 123 as a number does not match “123” as text. Microsoft advises not storing numbers or dates as text in the lookup column.
Trailing or leading spaces: “A100” and “A100” are different keys. Microsoft suggests TRIM or CLEAN.
Key not in the first column: VLOOKUP looks only in the first column of the range you give it. XLOOKUP has no such rule.
Broken links: a renamed or moved source file turns the path into an error.

What Gridhand can and cannot do here

Gridhand has no lookup function: it cannot pull a column from one file into another by matching a key, and it is not an Excel add-in. It can help around the lookup:

Clean trims spaces, collapses non-breaking spaces and turns text that looks like a number into a number, so keys match. Codes with leading zeros and codes of 12 or more digits stay text on purpose, so a key that is a number in one file and a long text code in the other still needs a manual check.
Compare takes two workbooks and, with a key column ticked, shows rows that exist in only one file (added or removed) and cells that changed, in a highlighted copy plus a Differences sheet. That answers “which IDs are in file A but not in file B” without a formula.
Merge, “Into one sheet”, stacks the rows of both files under one header with a source file column, which is not a lookup but lets you filter by file.

Steps with Gridhand

Drop both workbooks into Gridhand, choose Clean, tick “Trim spaces” and “Numbers”, read the preview and run it.
Add the two cleaned files to Compare, tick the key column (the ID or SKU) and choose whether to ignore case and spaces.
Check the preview, choose an output folder and press Run. Open the Summary sheet, then the Differences sheet, to see rows only in one file.
Then do the VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP in Excel on the cleaned files.

Compare counts as 2 files, so it fits the free limit of 3 input files per run; Gridhand Pro is USD 49 once. Download Gridhand · Pricing

Questions

Does Gridhand have a VLOOKUP? No. It has no lookup function and no formula helpers. Use Excel’s VLOOKUP or XLOOKUP for the lookup itself.

Can Excel for Mac look up in another workbook? Yes, through workbook links (formerly called external references), with both files open or with the file path in the formula. Excel may ask you to enable the links when you open the file.

Why does my lookup return #N/A when the value is there? Usually a text-versus-number mismatch or a stray space in the key. Clean the keys first.

How do I see which rows are in one file and not the other? Use Gridhand Compare with a key column, or a COUNTIF or XLOOKUP flag column in Excel. See compare two Excel files on a Mac.

Microsoft and Excel are trademarks of the Microsoft group of companies. Gridhand is made by Kayabyte and is not affiliated with or endorsed by Microsoft.