Google Sheets / Google Sheets Power User
Use conditional formatting
Conditional formatting allows you to change the appearance of cells depending on the values stored in the cells. You can change the format of cells based on the text they contain, or the number or dates in the cells, and can set the text and background colour of cells for which the condition is met.
Applying a single colour
To apply a single colour to cells that match a specific format:
Select the cells you wish to format
Click on the Format menu and choose Conditional Formatting
From the Format cells if drop-down list, choose the type of comparison you wish to make e.g. Text Contains to match specific text, or Is between to match values between a maximum and minimum value
Enter the value(s) you wish to compare each cell in the range with
To change the text colour of matching cells, click on the Text box, then select the required colour from the drop-down list
To change the background colour of matching cells, click on the Background box, then select the required colour from the drop-down list
If required, add another rule to be met by clicking on the Add another rule link
When complete, click on Done
Applying a range of colours
To use conditional formatting to apply a range of colours depending on the value in a range of cells:
Select the cells you wish to format
Click on the Format menu and choose Conditional Formatting
Click on Colour scale along the top of the pane
By default, all cells in the range will be coloured according to how their value compares to the other values in the range, and you can specify the colour of the lowest, middle and highest value. You can click on the Minpoint, Midpoint and Maxpoint drop-down lists and choose to set a specific minimum, maximum and middle value or percent, if required.
Choose the colour to apply to each level using the drop-down list, or click on the Preview drop-down arrow to choose from the standard colour sets
Click on Done
