How to merge two Excel files without VLOOKUP

You have a catalog on one side, a supplier file on the other, and you want their columns in a single table. Here is the simplest way to do it, with no formula and without damaging your product codes.

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The 3-step method

DataMerge does VLOOKUP's job for every row at once.

1Drop your two files (.xlsx, .xls, .ods or .csv) into the workspace.
2Pick the shared column: reference, SKU or barcode. When names differ, DataMerge suggests the right pair from the content.
3Tick the columns to keep, add a cleanup rule if needed, then download the result as Excel or CSV.

Why VLOOKUP causes trouble

VLOOKUP only returns the first match, breaks as soon as a column is inserted, and fails on a single extra space. Across thousands of rows, the file slows down.

Spreadsheets also convert your codes: barcodes lose leading zeros, a reference like 03-01 becomes a date. DataMerge reads every cell as text and changes nothing.

What if the columns have different names?

That is the most common case: “SKU” in your catalog, “Supplier_Ref” at your supplier. Just pick the column in each file; DataMerge shows a sample value and the match rate so you can check it is the right one.

Frequently asked questions

Is it free?

Yes, up to 2 files and 15,000 rows per merge, without creating an account.

Are my files sent anywhere?

They are processed in memory on our servers for the merge, then erased. Nothing is kept.

Your next catalog update takes two minutes.

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