XLOOKUPS are a newer function in Excel that can allow you to create a lookup without having to worry about it being vertical or horizontal data.  It also eliminates the need to have the Lookup Value always being in the first column or row, and allows for more flexibility of your data.

Similar to H & V Lookups, the syntax of the XLOOKUP wants a lookup value and also wants to know the data you want it search within and the results you want it to give you back.  But rather than a table array, it asks for a lookup array, and rather than the row or index number, it asks for a return array – which eliminates the restrictions on having your results always in the first column or row of your table array.  

Compare the two different syntaxes:

 =VLOOKUP(lookup_value,table_array, colum_index_number, Range_lookup)

=XLOOKUP(lookup_value,lookup_array,return_array)

In this video, we look at the basics of how to use an XLOOKUP as well as how to nest 2 XLOOKUPs for even more functionality.