Conditional Formatting in Excel: A Step-by-Step Guide

What is Conditional Formatting?

Conditional formatting is a feature in Excel that allows you to automatically format cells based on specific criteria. This means that when Excel matches your criteria, it will automatically apply the formatting you have chosen to the cells. For example, if you want all cells with a value greater than 100 to turn green, you can set up a criteria that will apply a green fill to those cells.

How to Use Conditional Formatting

1. Select the cells you want to apply the formatting to.
2. Go to the Home ribbon and click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Style section.
3. Choose the type of formatting you want to apply, such as “Highlight Cell Rules” or “Top and Bottom Rules”.
4. Set up your criteria by selecting the options you want to use, such as “Greater than” or “Less than”.
5. Choose the formatting you want to apply, such as a fill color or font style.
6. Click “OK” to apply the formatting.

Managing Conditional Formatting Rules

1. Go to the Home ribbon and click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Style section.
2. Click on “Manage Rules” at the bottom of the menu.
3. In the “Conditional Formatting Rules Manager” dialog box, you can add, edit, or delete rules.
4. You can also use this dialog box to set up new rules or modify existing ones.

Example 1: Highlighting Cells with a Value Greater than 2500

1. Select the cells you want to apply the formatting to.
2. Go to the Home ribbon and click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Style section.
3. Choose “Highlight Cell Rules” and then select “Greater than”.
4. Enter “2500” in the “Format values where this formula is true” field.
5. Choose a fill color, such as green.
6. Click “OK” to apply the formatting.

Example 2: Highlighting Cells with a Chargeability Less than 70%

1. Select the cells you want to apply the formatting to.
2. Go to the Home ribbon and click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Style section.
3. Choose “Highlight Cell Rules” and then select “Less than”.
4. Enter “70%” in the “Format values where this formula is true” field.
5. Choose a fill color, such as red.
6. Click “OK” to apply the formatting.

Example 3: Highlighting Cells with a Chargeability Between 80% and 100%

1. Select the cells you want to apply the formatting to.
2. Go to the Home ribbon and click on the “Conditional Formatting” button in the Style section.
3. Choose “Highlight Cell Rules” and then select “Between”.
4. Enter “80%” and “100%” in the “Format values where this formula is true” field.
5. Choose a fill color, such as yellow.
6. Click “OK” to apply the formatting.

By following these steps and examples, you can use conditional formatting to automatically apply formatting to cells based on specific criteria, making it easier to analyze and understand your data.

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References:

• Microsoft Excel Help: Conditional Formatting
• Excel Easy: Conditional Formatting
• Mr. Excel: Conditional Formatting