Guided Notes

Conditional Formatting

Highlight rules, top/bottom rules, data bars, color scales, icon sets, and formula-based rules.

What conditional formatting does

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Conditional formatting changes a cell's look automatically based on its value — so patterns, outliers, and problems stand out without anyone reading every number.

Select the cells, then choose Home ▸ Conditional Formatting. The formatting is live: when a value changes, its formatting updates too.

Use it for a purpose — flag overdue dates, low stock, or top performers — rather than coloring everything.

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