Conditional formatting in Google Sheets can highlight your data based on specific criteria. One popular technique is pill conditional formatting, which rounds the edges of cells for a more polished look.
This guide will walk you through the basic steps to achieve pill conditional formatting seamlessly. You'll also learn some advanced tips to enhance your spreadsheets further.
Lastly, we will explore why Sourcetable is a better alternative to using Google Sheets. Sourcetable makes it easy to become an advanced spreadsheet user faster as an AI-first spreadsheet. It simplifies answering questions about your spreadsheets, building formulas and queries, and automating any spreadsheet task.
Open a spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app on your Android phone or tablet to begin creating a conditional formatting rule.
Select the specific range of cells you want to apply conditional formatting rules to. Ensure the range includes all relevant data that needs formatting.
Tap Format then tap Conditional formatting. A panel will open on the right side of the screen.
Under the “Format cells if” section, choose the condition that will trigger the formatting rule. Adjust the formatting style to decide what the cells should look like when the conditions are met.
For single color formatting, select Single color. For a range of colors based on values, select Color scale. Adjust the Minpoint and Maxpoint colors for color scales.
Use formulas to create complex conditional formatting rules. For instance, =A1=indirect("Tab2!"&address(row(),column())) matches cells in Tab1 to Tab2. To avoid blank cells, use =len(A1)*(A1=indirect("Tab2!"&address(row(),column))). For cells that don’t match, use =A1 After setting your conditions and formatting style, tap SAVE to apply the conditional formatting rule. The rules will adjust cell formatting based on the conditions set. To view or edit your rules, tap Format then Conditional formatting. Select either the Selected range or All to see all applied rules. Remove any rule by tapping Remove and then Done. For advanced users, tap Custom formula under "Format cells if" to use specific formulas. Utilize dollar signs for absolute references, and wildcard characters within "Text contains" or "Text does not contain" fields for more precise matching.Step 7: Save the Rule
Review and Adjust Rules
Custom Formulas and Wildcards
Visualizing Data Trends |
Conditional formatting helps visualize data trends by highlighting cells based on specific criteria. Using the Color scale option to define a range of colors helps users quickly identify high, medium, and low values. This can be advantageous when analyzing sales data, temperatures, or scores, making large datasets more accessible. |
Identifying Outliers |
Creating conditional formatting rules allows users to highlight outliers in a dataset. By choosing Single color formatting and setting rule conditions (e.g., values greater than a specified threshold), users can easily spot anomalies. This is especially useful in financial analysis or quality control environments. |
Highlighting Duplicates |
Conditional formatting can be used to identify duplicates within a range. For instance, using the formula =COUNTIF($A$1:$A$100,A1)>1 highlights cells where data repeats. This is beneficial for data cleaning, ensuring unique entries in records like customer databases or inventory lists. |
Tracking Project Status |
By applying conditional formatting based on text values, such as =$B1="Completed", entire rows can be formatted to reflect project status. This visual differentiation helps project managers track progress across various tasks, making management more efficient. |
Improving Student Performance Monitoring |
Teachers can use conditional formatting to highlight test scores below a certain threshold, such as less than 80%. This helps quickly identify students needing additional support, providing a clear visual cue to address academic performance. |
Enhanced Spreadsheet Readability |
Conditional formatting enhances the readability of spreadsheets by applying selective color coding based on predefined rules. This makes it easier to scan large datasets and extract necessary information promptly, enhancing overall productivity and data comprehension. |
When it comes to spreadsheets, Google Sheets is a well-known tool that many people rely on for its functionality and ease of access. However, for users wanting more advanced features and smarter work processes, Sourcetable stands out as an AI-first spreadsheet application.
Sourcetable's AI assistant is a game changer. It automatically writes complex spreadsheet formulas and SQL queries, making advanced tasks easier and faster to execute. This contrasts with Google Sheets, where users often struggle to manually write and debug these complex formulas.
One key advantage of Sourcetable is its integration capability. It syncs with over five hundred data sources, allowing users to search and query data without manual import/export processes. Google Sheets generally requires third-party add-ons for extensive data integration, which can be less seamless and more time-consuming.
For tasks like "how to do pill conditional formatting in Google Sheets," Sourcetable offers clear benefits. Its AI assistant simplifies advanced conditional formatting, which might otherwise take significant time and effort to figure out in Google Sheets. Sourcetable makes such features accessible to everyone, regardless of their technical expertise.
Open a spreadsheet in the Google Sheets app, select the range to format, tap Format, then tap Conditional formatting. A panel will open where you can set your rule conditions and tap SAVE.
You can set rules to change text or background color if cells meet certain conditions. For example, you can highlight test scores that are less than 80%.
Use the custom formula "=COUNTIF($A$1:$A$100,A1)>1" to highlight cells A1 to A100 if there is more than one occurrence of the same value in the data.
Yes, wildcard characters can be used with the 'Text contains' or 'Text does not contain' fields. Use a question mark (?) to match any single character and an asterisk (*) to match zero or more characters.
Click Format > Conditional formatting on the top menu, select the data range to apply the rule, click the Color scale option on the top right of the menu, adjust the colors of the Minpoint and Maxpoint, and click Done.
Use dollar signs ($) in front of letters and numbers to use absolute references, ensuring that the formatting applies to the exact cells specified.
To reorder rules, tap Move and drag them. To remove a rule, tap Remove and then Done.
Integrating and applying conditional formatting in Google Sheets can significantly enhance data visualization. However, Sourcetable simplifies this process by providing AI-powered solutions.
Sourcetable integrates seamlessly with third-party tools, allowing real-time data access in a collaborative interface. Its AI capabilities enable users to automate spreadsheet tasks and efficiently address any data-related queries.
Try Sourcetable today to streamline your spreadsheet processes: Sourcetable.