Buzz
Using different colored cells in Sheets can be a handy way to categorize data. If you want to effectively utilize this feature in Google Sheets, check out the article below.
How to automatically change cell colors in Google Sheets
In this example, let's create a spreadsheet to record the distance run in a week, as part of a fitness regimen to improve physique.
Imagine I set my goal to run 16km per week. The task is to track whether I achieve that goal each week or not. To do that, I'll set the value in the Total cell to turn red when below the 16km threshold. On the other hand, it will turn green when surpassing 16km.
First, you need to set up a basic SUM function to add up the data for each day of the week. Enter =SUM(start cell:end cell)
Next, select the Total cell data, click on Format in the menu bar >> Conditional formatting.
When you open this window, you'll find many options. First, I want to set it so that when I run less than 16km, the cell color will change to red. In the Format cells if... section, choose Less than.
Enter the data into the cell as 16, this is the condition you set for the cell value.
In the formatting style section, click on the paint bucket icon and choose red color.
Now, the Total value cell will turn red when its data is less than 16.
The first rule has been set up, click on “Done” below. Then click “+ Add another rule”, to set up the remaining rule.
Now, let's proceed with changing the cell color to green when the value reaches or exceeds 16km. For the formula, select Greater than or equal to, enter the comparison value as 16, and choose the color Green.
Click Done to save, and you'll have a list for the above 2 rules.
Now let's try together, if the running data for the week is less than 16km, the total will turn red.
Conversely, when I achieve my goal, the result will immediately turn green for the victor.
So, now you know how to use the Conditional formatting feature to create specific rules for a cell. In addition to changing colors, you can also set bold, underline, as well as text values instead of numbers. Wishing you success!
