Data & Spreadsheets
Fuzzy Lookup for Spreadsheets
Free to useNo sign-up requiredNo watermarkRuns in your browser
Some things never match exactly. "Emirates NBD PJSC" in one system and "Emirates NBD" in another are the same counterparty, and no exact lookup will ever join them.
This tool matches on similarity instead. You set how alike two values must be, and every row comes back with the value it matched, a confidence figure and how the match was made - so you can see the evidence rather than take the answer on trust.
How this tool works
Add your spreadsheet
An XLSX, XLS or CSV file, or two files if the tables are separate.
Choose the columns to match on
The column in your data and the column in the list you are matching against.
Choose what to bring back
Tick every column you want copied across. You are not limited to one.
Set how similar counts as a match
Start around 85%. Lower finds more, including some that are wrong. The confidence for every row is shown so you can judge where to draw the line.
Review and download
Check the rows marked "Needs Review" before you rely on the result, then download it as Excel or CSV.
How it works
Exact matches are found first, then matches that agree once spacing, capitalisation and invisible characters are ignored. Only what is left over is compared by similarity, so a close match can never displace an exact one.
Similarity is measured two ways and the better result wins. One compares the characters, which catches typos inside a word. The other compares the sets of words, which is what lets "Emirates NBD PJSC" match "Emirates NBD" despite three missing characters at the end.
When the two best candidates score almost the same, the row is marked "Needs Review" instead of one being chosen. There is no basis for preferring either, and picking one anyway is how a matching exercise ends up confidently wrong.
Every row carries its original value, the tidied-up value used for comparison, what it matched, the score and the threshold in force. That is what makes the result checkable afterwards.
Everything runs in your browser, and matching runs in a background thread so the page stays usable while it works.
Choosing a threshold
| 95% and above | Only near-identical text. Typos and punctuation differences. |
|---|---|
| 85-95% | A good default. Catches dropped legal suffixes and word-order changes. |
| 70-85% | Finds more, and starts finding wrong ones. Review every match. |
| Below 70% | Rarely useful. Unrelated names begin to score this well. |
When not to use fuzzy matching
If both sides have a reliable reference number, match on that instead. A fuzzy name match is a fallback for when there is no shared identifier, not an improvement on one.
Fuzzy matching is also the wrong tool for codes where small differences are meaningful. Account numbers, IBANs and licence numbers that differ by one character are different accounts, not near-matches, and a similarity score will happily rate them at 95%.
Frequently asked questions
Is this fuzzy lookup free?
Yes, with no sign-up and no limit on how many rows you match.
Is my spreadsheet uploaded anywhere?
No. Your files stay on your device. The workbook is read and matched by your browser, so nothing is uploaded, stored or logged.
What does the confidence figure mean?
How similar the two values are, as a percentage. 100% means identical after tidying. The threshold you set is the lowest score that will be accepted as a match.
What does "Needs Review" mean?
Two or more candidates scored almost the same, so there is no sound reason to prefer one. The tool reports this rather than choosing, and lists the candidates so you can decide.
Will it match an account number that is one digit different?
It would score them as very similar, which is exactly why fuzzy matching is the wrong tool for identifiers. Match on codes exactly and save fuzzy matching for names.
How is this different from the VLOOKUP tool?
The same engine, with close matching switched on from the start and the threshold in front of you. The VLOOKUP tool leads with exact matching, which is what most lookups want.
Guides for this tool
Excel names don't match? Find similar records with fuzzy matching
Company or customer names differ slightly between two spreadsheets? Use VSThiran's fuzzy matching to find records that are similar even when the text isn't identical - like "ABC Trading LLC" and "ABC Trading L.L.C."
How to match two spreadsheets without writing a formula
Need to pull columns from one Excel file into another? Match two spreadsheets in your browser with VSThiran - click the two columns to match on, no VLOOKUP formula required.
Find near-duplicate records even when the names differ slightly
Duplicate finder found nothing, but you know there are repeats? Find near-duplicate rows in your browser with VSThiran - records that are the same but not spelled identically.
How to reconcile two Excel reports and find differences
Two Excel reports don't reconcile? Compare them in your browser with VSThiran's reconciliation workflow and identify exactly which references or amounts don't agree.