VLOOKUP by Date in a Timestamp Column in Google Sheets

To perform a VLOOKUP by date in a timestamp column in Google Sheets, we need to understand two key concepts. What are they?

Table of Contents

1. Converting a Timestamp to a Date

A timestamp includes both the date and time, but we want to perform a VLOOKUP using only the date. This means we must convert the timestamp column to a date column before looking up values.

There are two functions that can help with this:

The INT function
The toDate function (used within QUERY)

What is `toDate`?

It’s a scalar function in QUERY that we can use to extract only the date portion of a timestamp. This function ensures that VLOOKUP by date in a timestamp column works correctly.

2. Using the Modified Column in VLOOKUP

Once we’ve converted the timestamp column, we must ensure that it is correctly used in the VLOOKUP range along with the other relevant columns.

Didn’t get it? Let’s go through an example.

Example: VLOOKUP Issue with Timestamps

Assume we have a table with three columns: Timestamp, ID, and Amount (see Table #1 below).

DateTime	ID	Amount
25/08/2020 12:10:15	KL601001	500
26/08/2020 13:00:10	KL591050	500
27/08/2020 12:35:01	KL604000	450
28/08/2020 11:49:00	KL604002	0
29/08/2020 12:10:01	KL592015	450

Our VLOOKUP search key is a date (e.g., 27/08/2020). Since column A contains timestamps, we must extract only the date before using it in VLOOKUP.

Method 1: Using QUERY with `toDate`

We modify the table virtually using QUERY, converting column A (timestamps) to dates.

Step 1: Creating the VLOOKUP Range

=QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(A), B, C", 1)

This formula:

Extracts only the date from column A
Keeps columns B and C unchanged
Forms the correct VLOOKUP range

Step 2: Using VLOOKUP with the Modified Range

To return values from different columns based on the search key 27/08/2020 entered in cell E1:

Fetch ID:=VLOOKUP(E1, QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(A), B, C", 1), 2, 0)
Fetch Amount:=VLOOKUP(E1, QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(A), B, C", 1), 3, 0)
Fetch both ID and Amount in one formula:=ArrayFormula(VLOOKUP(E1, QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(A), B, C", 1), {2, 3}, 0))

Example of VLOOKUP by date in a timestamp column in Google Sheets

Note: If you are hardcoding the search key, use the DATE function instead of entering text:

=ArrayFormula(VLOOKUP(DATE(2020, 8, 27), QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(A), B, C", 1), {2, 3}, 0))

Method 2: Using INT Function

This is another efficient method for VLOOKUP by date in a timestamp column. The INT function removes the time portion, leaving only the date.

Step 1: Creating the VLOOKUP Range

={INT(A2:A6), B2:C6}

This formula:

Converts timestamps to dates using INT
Retains columns B and C

Step 2: Using VLOOKUP with INT

=ArrayFormula(VLOOKUP(E1, {INT(A2:A6), B2:C6}, 2, 0))

This returns KL604000, the ID corresponding to 27/08/2020.

VLOOKUP by Date in a Timestamp Column When the Timestamp Isn’t the First Column

What if the timestamp column isn’t the first column? Consider this shuffled table:

ID	DateTime	Amount
KL601001	25/08/2020 12:10:15	500
KL591050	26/08/2020 13:00:10	500
KL604000	27/08/2020 12:35:01	450
KL604002	28/08/2020 11:49:00	0
KL592015	29/08/2020 12:10:01	450

Since the timestamp column is now the second column, we must adjust our QUERY and INT formulas.

Using QUERY

=QUERY(A1:C6, "SELECT toDate(B), A, C", 1)

Manipulating data using the toDate QUERY function for VLOOKUP in Google Sheets

Using INT

={INT(B2:B6), A2:A6, C2:C6}

The VLOOKUP formulas remain the same as before, but now reference column B instead of A.

Final Thoughts

Now you know how to perform VLOOKUP by date in a timestamp column in Google Sheets using two powerful methods: QUERY with toDate and the INT function.

Both methods ensure that VLOOKUP searches only dates, not full timestamps, allowing for accurate results.

Thanks for reading!