VLOOKUP using FALSE returning blanks and #N/A

[dread]

I'm doing a VLOOKUP using FALSE and when it does not find the value I'm
searching for it either returns an #N/A or it returns blank. I thought it
was suppose to return a #N/A when it doesn't find the value; I don't
understand why I'm getting blanks.

Thank you.

 

[T. Valko]

Are the return values generated by formulas that might have a possible
return of blank ("")?

What happens when you do this:

A1 = the lookup value and your VLOOKUP formula returns a blank
B1:B10 = first column of the lookup table

Enter this formula somewhere:

=MATCH(A1,B1:B10,0)

If the MATCH formula returns a number then the lookup value in A1 *does
exist* in your lookup table.

Another possibility...

The lookup table contains empty cells so the result of the VLOOKUP is
actually a 0 but you have display of 0 turned off? This would "appear" as a
blank cell.