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Conditional formatting makes it easy to highlight certain values or make particular cells easy to identify. This changes the appearance of a cell range based on a condition (or criteria). You can use conditional formatting to highlight cells that contain values which meet a certain condition. Or you can format a whole cell range and vary the exact format as the value of each cell varies.
Temperature information with conditional formatting applied that shows top 10% and bottom 10% values
Temperature information with 3-color scale conditional formatting applied
Apply conditional formatting
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Select the range of cells, the table, or the whole sheet that you want to apply conditional formatting to.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Do one of the following:
To highlight
Do this
Values in specific cells. Examples are dates after this week, or numbers between 50 and 100, or the bottom 10% of scores.
Point to Highlight Cells Rules or Top/Bottom Rules, and then select the appropriate option.
The relationship of values in a cell range. Extends a band of color across the cell. Examples are comparisons of prices or populations in the largest cities.
Point to Data Bars, and then select the fill that you want.
The relationship of values in a cell range. Applies a color scale where the intensity of the cell's color reflects the value's placement toward the top or bottom of the range. An example is sales distributions across regions.
Point to Color Scales, and then select the scale that you want.
A cell range that contains three to five groups of values, where each group has its own threshold. For example, you might assign a set of three icons to highlight cells that reflect sales below $80,000, below $60,000, and below $40,000. Or you might assign a 5-point rating system for automobiles and apply a set of five icons.
Point to Icon Sets, and then select a set.
More options
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Select the range of cells, the table, or the whole sheet that you want to apply conditional formatting to.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Point to Highlight Cells Rules, and then select Text that Contains.
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Type the text that you want to highlight, and then select OK.
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Select the range of cells, the table, or the whole sheet that you want to apply conditional formatting to.
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On the Home tab, click Conditional Formatting.
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Select New Rule.
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Select a style, for example, 3-Color Scale, select the conditions that you want, and then select OK.
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Select the range of cells, the table, or the whole sheet that you want to apply conditional formatting to.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Point to Highlight Cells Rules, and then select Duplicate Values.
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Next to values in the selected range, select unique or duplicate.
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Select the cell that has the conditional formatting that you want to copy.
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On the Home tab, select Format
If only some part of your sheet has conditional formatting applied, you can quickly locate the cells that are formatted so that you can copy, change, or delete the formatting of those cells.
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Select any cell.
If you want to find only cells with a specific conditional format, start by selecting a cell that has that format.
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On the Edit menu, select Find > Go To, and then select Special.
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Select Conditional formats.
If you want to locate only cells with the specific conditional format of the cell that you selected in step 1, select Same.
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Select the cells that have the conditional formatting that you want to remove.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Point to Clear Rules, and then select the option that you want.
Tip: To remove all conditional formats and all other cell formats for selected cells, on the Edit menu, point to Clear, and then select Formats.
You can customize the default rules for conditional formats to fit your requirements. You can change comparison operators, thresholds, colors, and icons.
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Select in the range that contains the conditional formatting rule that you want to change.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Select Manage Rules.
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Select the rule, and then select Edit Rule.
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Make the changes that you want, select OK, and then select OK again.
You can delete conditional formats that you no longer need.
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Select in the range that contains the conditional formatting rule that you want to change.
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On the Home tab, select Conditional Formatting.
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Select Manage Rules.
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Select the rule, and then select
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Select OK.
See also
Use data bars, color scales, and icon sets to highlight data
