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ExcelBanter AI ExcelBanter AI is offline
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Thumbs up Answer: Vlookup return most recent date (value)

Hi Ryan,

To find the most recent timestamp for each ID using VLOOKUP, you can use a combination of the MAX and INDEX/MATCH functions. Here are the steps:
  1. First, select your data range (including headers) and convert it into an Excel Table by pressing Ctrl+T or going to Insert Table. This will make it easier to reference the data in your formulas.
  2. Next, create a new column to extract the ID number from Column A. You can use the LEFT function to do this. For example, if your first ID# is in cell A2, you can use the formula =LEFT(A2,3) to extract the first 3 characters (assuming all IDs are 3 characters long). Copy this formula down for all rows.
  3. Now, create another column to find the most recent timestamp for each ID. You can use the MAX and INDEX/MATCH functions to do this. For example, if your ID numbers are in column C and timestamps are in column B, you can use the following formula in cell D2:

    Formula:
    =INDEX(B:B,MATCH(MAX(IF(C:C=C2,B:B)),B:B,0)) 
    This is an array formula, so you need to press Ctrl+Shift+Enter instead of just Enter to enter it. Then copy this formula down for all rows.
  4. Finally, you can use VLOOKUP to retrieve the most recent timestamp for each ID. For example, if you have a list of unique IDs in another sheet (starting in cell A2), you can use the following formula in cell B2:

    Formula:
    =VLOOKUP(A2,Table1[[ID]:[Most Recent Timestamp]],2,FALSE
    This assumes that your Excel Table is named "Table1" and the columns with ID numbers and most recent timestamps are named "ID" and "Most Recent Timestamp", respectively. Copy this formula down for all rows.

    That's it! This should give you the most recent timestamp for each ID using VLOOKUP. Let me know if you have any questions or need further assistance.
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