Contemplate a worksheet that has tens of hundreds of rows of knowledge. Just by wanting on the uncooked knowledge – patterns and developments can be very tough to identify. Conditional formatting affords an extra methodology of visualizing knowledge and enhancing worksheet comprehension, very similar to charts.
What’s Conditional Formatting in Excel?
Conditional Formatting is a function in an Excel spreadsheet. It’s used to simply keep the standing of the consequence. It’s most frequently used as color-based formatting to spotlight, emphasize, or differentiate amongst knowledge and knowledge saved in an Excel spreadsheet.
In relation to making use of different types to knowledge that matches specific standards, Excel conditional formatting is a extremely helpful function. It could possibly make it simpler so that you can draw consideration to the important thing particulars in your spreadsheets and rapidly determine variations in cell values.
Sorts/Conditional Formatting Presets
You should utilize preset guidelines, together with Shade scales, Knowledge Bars, Icon Units, Kind filter, and so forth. to conditionally format your knowledge, or you’ll be able to assemble your personal guidelines that specify when and the way the chosen cells ought to be highlighted.
- Knowledge Bars, Just like a bar graph, knowledge bars are horizontal bars which are added to every cell

Knowledge Bars
- Shade scales alter every cell’s shade relying on its worth. A two- or three-color gradient is used for every shade scale

Shade scales
- Icon Units, based mostly on the worth of every cell, icon units assign a definite icon to every cell.

Icon Units
The place To Discover Conditional Formatting in Excel
Conditional formatting is accessible from Excel 2010 by Excel 365 in the identical location.
Dwelling tab > Kinds group > Conditional formatting.

Conditional Formatting in Excel
How one can Use Conditional Formatting in Excel
Steps to make the most of Excel conditional formatting are as follows:
Step 1. Choose the Cells
Choose the cells you wish to format within the Spreadsheet
Step 2. Click on on Conditional Formatting
Click on Conditional Formatting, On the Dwelling tab, within the Kinds group
Step 3. From a Set of Preset Guidelines, Choose the Required One
From a set of preset guidelines, decide the one which finest serves your wants

Utilizing Conditional Formatting In Excel
Step 4. Enter the Worth and Choose the Chosen Format from the Drop-Down Checklist
Enter the worth within the field on the left of the dialogue field and choose the chosen format from the drop-down listing on the precise (with Default Gentle Purple Fill with Darkish Purple Textual content)

Utilizing Conditional Formatting In Excel
Different rule sorts that is likely to be acceptable to your knowledge, equivalent to:
- Larger than or equal to
- Between two values
- Textual content that accommodates particular phrases or characters
- Date occurring in a sure vary
- Duplicate values
How one can Use a Preset Rule with Customized Formatting
You may choose every other shade for the background, textual content, or borders of the cells if none of the usual layouts appeals to you. That is how:
Step 1. Choose Customized Format, Within the preset rule dialogue field, from the drop-down listing on the precise
Step 2. Change between the Font, Border, and Fill tabs within the Format Cells dialogue window to pick the popular font type, border type, and background shade, respectively, click on OK

Customized formatting
Step 3. Click on OK to use the customized formatting of your selection

Customized formatting
How one can Create a New Conditional Formatting Rule in Excel
You may create a brand new Conditional Formatting Rule in Excel from scratch. To take action, observe these steps:
Step 1. Choose the cells to be formatted and click on Conditional Formatting > New Rule.

New Conditional Formatting Rule in Excel
Step 2. Choose the rule kind, within the New Formatting Rule dialog field

New Conditional Formatting Rule in Excel
Step 3. Click on the Format button, and select the colour you wish to fill.

New Conditional Formatting Rule in Excel
Step 4. Click on OK and your New conditional formatting is finished!
How one can Edit Conditional Formatting Guidelines in Excel
To make any modifications in an already current Formatting Rule in Excel, observe these steps:
Step 1. Choose any cell to which a rule already applies, Click on on Handle Guidelines below Conditional Formatting

Modifying Conditional Formatting Guidelines in Excel
Step 2. It will open the Guidelines Supervisor dialog field, choose the rule you wish to modify, then Click on on Edit Rule.

Modifying Conditional Formatting Guidelines in Excel
Step 3. Make the required modifications within the Edit Formatting Rule dialogue window, Click on on Okay
Excel Conditional Formatting Examples:
Some Situation-Based mostly Examples of Conditional Formatting in Excel:
Situation 1. Figuring out Duplicates
Steps to figuring out duplicate values:
Step 1: Choose the cells the place you wish to determine duplicate values. For instance: choose the column TOT as proven within the determine.
Step 2: Click on on the Conditional Formatting and click on on new guidelines. Now a window seems, choose ‘format solely distinctive and duplicate values’ and click on on the format.
Step 3: Choose the Fill possibility within the tab and select the background shade and click on okay.
Step 4: Now the duplicate values as proven within the determine.
Situation 2. Cell Highlighting with Worth Larger or Lower than a Quantity
Comply with the under steps for highlighting cells with a price larger or lower than a given quantity:
Step 1: Choose the cells that you just wish to spotlight with Larger or lower than a quantity.
Step 2: Click on on the conditional formatting and click on on new guidelines. Now choose “Format all cells based mostly on their values“. Within the ‘Minimal’ and select the worth you wish to determine the lesser values and select the colour. Equally, Within the Most and select the worth you wish to determine the lesser values and select the colour. And click on okay.
Step 3: Within the under determine, the values with inexperienced shade point out larger values and the values with purple shade point out fewer values.
Situation 3. Highlighting Prime or Backside N Objects
To spotlight the highest and/or the underside N objects choose the cells the place you wish to spotlight high and backside N objects and click on on the conditional formatting->Prime/backside cells->Prime 10 Objects. Select a price in format cells that rank on the high and select the format and click on okay.
Within the under determine, the purple shade signifies the highest 5 values in rank.
How one can Copy Excel Conditional Formatting
You received’t want to start out over when making use of a conditional format you’ve already established to totally different knowledge. To switch the present conditional formatting rule(s) to a different knowledge assortment, simply make the most of Format Painter.
Step 1. Select the cell whose conditional formatting you wish to duplicate
Step 2. Click on on Format Painter below Dwelling
Step 3. Click on on the primary cell within the vary you wish to format, then drag the paintbrush right down to the final cell to stick the copied formatting

Copy Excel Conditional Formatting
Step 4. To cease utilizing the paintbrush, press Esc.
How one can Delete Conditional Formatting Guidelines
There are two simple methods to delete conditional formatting guidelines
1. Select the only option after choosing the specified cell vary and clicking Conditional Formatting > Clear Guidelines

Deleting conditional formatting guidelines
2. Choose the rule and click on the Delete Rule button, Beneath the Conditional Formatting Guidelines Supervisor

Deleting conditional formatting guidelines
FAQs on Excel Conditional Formatting
Listed below are among the most ceaselessly requested questions on Excel Conditional Formatting
1. What are the three conditional formatting choices?
Three classes have been established for Conditional Formatting in Excel.
- Just like a bar graph, Knowledge bars are horizontal bars which are added to every cell
- Shade scales alter every cell’s shade relying on its worth. A two- or three-color gradient is used for every shade scale
- Icon Units, based mostly on the worth of every cell, icon units assign a definite icon to every cell
2. Can I copy Conditional Formatting to different cells in Excel?
Sure, we are able to copy Conditional Formatting to different cells in Excel. There are a number of methods to repeat the conditional formatting to different cells, equivalent to –
- Easy copy-paste
- Copy and paste conditional formatting solely
- Utilizing the format painter
3. How do I take away Conditional Formatting from cells in Excel?
To take away the chosen vary conditional formatting, please observe the below-mentioned steps:
- Choose the vary that you just wish to take away the conditional formatting from
- Click on Dwelling > Conditional Formatting > Clear Guidelines > Clear Guidelines from Chosen Cells
4. Can I take advantage of icons or knowledge bars in Conditional Formatting?
Sure, you should use Icons or Knowledge bars in Conditional Formatting in Excel. To make use of both of those, observe the under steps:
- Choose the vary that you just wish to apply the conditional formatting to
- Click on on Conditional Formatting on the Dwelling Tab
- Level to Knowledge Bars, and select from gradient fill or strong fill or Level to Icon units and select your required icons
5. Can I apply Conditional Formatting based mostly on one other cell’s worth in Excel?
You will need to use system in case you want to format a whole row relying on the worth of a single cell or apply conditional formatting based mostly on one other cell.