You might want to compare a start time to an end time to learn if the total time elapsed is less than or greater than a preset number. This may help you compare the current inventory column to the reorder level column allowing you to easily see if it’s time to reorder a product.ĭetermining if a condition is true or false is another way of comparing items. For example, you could set a condition to highlight cells in an inventory spreadsheet if the on-hand inventory numbers fall below a certain threshold.
You can also build rules or conditions to compare values. You could also set a condition to change the font weight or color to denote the amount is negative or has fallen below a preset threshold. When you enter a number greater than the amount set in your formula, you can set a condition that will cause the cell to change colors automatically. It does some of your work for you automatically and lets you know at a glance that you have completed a task.Īnother example includes setting a rule to let you know when a cell contains a value greater than a preset amount. The condition being that you have placed Y in the cell which cues the box to turn green automatically. Then when you send out their card you can place a Y in the birthday card sent column and that cell will turn green letting you know at a glance that you have sent their card. You could build a conditional formatting rule in your customer spreadsheet to shade the customer’s birthday cell when the date is ten days from the current date. One example of conditional formatting might include wanting to keep track of customers’ birthdays so that you can send them a card. So let’s take a look at a few examples of conditional formatting available within Microsoft Excel. It provides a way to improve the appearance and increase the functionality of your spreadsheets as you’re working based on the conditions you have created. At some point, you may have found yourself asking, “What is conditional formatting?” Conditional formatting means that you can change or add visual cues based on a specified set of rules.