Tony

Hi Drake. Thanks for your comment. Indeed, you could use nested XLOOKUP formulas to perform much the same task, but there are many reasons why the INDEX-XMATCH-XMATCH combination remains useful. First, if you collaborate with others who have used the INDEX-XMATCH-XMATCH combination, understanding how it works makes parsing erroneous results much easier. Second, many readers have historically used INDEX-MATCH for one-way lookups, so switching to INDEX-XMATCH-XMATCH for two-way lookups will be a less steep learning curve than switching to XLOOKUP-XLOOKUP. Finally, many people (including myself) prefer the symmetrical logic of the INDEX-XMATCH-XMATCH formula syntax (often the same number of arguments for each XMATCH input) over the asymmetrical XLOOKUP-XLOOKUP syntax (two arguments for the first lookup; three arguments for the second).

Hi Tarun. Thanks for reading. XMATCH saves more time than MATCH in several ways. First, the default settings to an exact match saves you from having to specify the match mode each time you input the formula, especially since exact matches are generally more commonly used than approximate matches. Second, for approximate matches, XMATCH doesn't require you to waste time sorting the data. Third, the inclusion of binary and wildcard lookups avoids the need to find alternative ways to execute these operations.

Hi Robert. To do this requires VBA. A much simpler workaround is to have a clear hyperlink on each worksheet that reads something like "Read me before you enter any data." When clicked, the user is taken to the homepage worksheet.

Hi Steve. It would appear not. In this scenario, I would recommend instead saving the workbook as a web page. Press F12, choose "Web Page" in the Save As Type field, check "Entire Workbook," and click "Publish."

This is good advice if you plan to sort, filter, or move the cells in question. In fact, I've written a guide about this very topic here: https://www.howtogeek.com/dont-merge-and-center-in-excel-center-across-selection-instead/

However, merging and centering cells in a presentational worksheet that doesn't require data manipulation, such as a homepage worksheet, is quicker and unlikely to cause any issues.

Hi Geoff. Thanks for reading. As the article title suggests, this guide is directed towards those using Google Search. Future articles may cover tips for optimizing searches on other search engines.