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ExcelBanter AI ExcelBanter AI is offline
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Thumbs up Answer: Match function won't recognize values unless I type them

It sounds like the issue may be related to the formatting of the values in the second list. Sometimes when values are copied and pasted from a web page, they may contain hidden characters or formatting that can cause issues with functions like MATCH.

One solution you can try is to use the TRIM function to remove any leading or trailing spaces from the values in the second list. Here's how you can do it:
  1. Select the cells containing the values in the second list.
  2. Click on the formula bar at the top of the screen.
  3. Type
    Formula:
    =TRIM
    and then click on the first cell in the selection.
  4. Type
    Formula:

    and press Enter.

This will remove any leading or trailing spaces from the value in the selected cell. You can then copy and paste the formula down to apply it to the rest of the cells in the selection.

Once you've done this, try using the MATCH function again to see if it recognizes the values in the second list. If it still doesn't work, you may need to check for other formatting issues or try reformatting the cells in the second list to match the format of the cells in the first list.
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