Learn what conditional formatting is and how it can be used to emphasize the important data in a spreadsheet. We will discuss a variety of the built-in options you can use to apply conditional formatting rules to your data. 

A primer on conditional formatting

Conditional formatting

Additional rule

Conditional formatting of top and bottom values

Greater than

Weight range

Auditing an expense account

Conditional formatting using dates

Before last week

All dates except June

Dates

A Primer on Conditional Formatting

In this chapter, you will learn how to apply conditional formatting in more flexible ways. We'll discuss a variety of functions you can use to create conditional formatting rules with custom formulas.

Primer on custom formulas

Amount variance

Percentage variance

Working with AND / OR

Positive and negative

Both amount and variance

Quality control

Quality control further analysis

Highlighting an entire row

Formatting an entire row

Custom formula

Custom Application of Conditional Formatting

Learn tricks to use conditional formatting in unique ways! In this chapter, you will learn more functions, build your own searches, and make interactive task lists with checkboxes.

Highlight duplicate values

COUNTIF practice

Finding more duplicates

Conditionally formatting duplicates

Cleaning it up

Building a search box

SEARCH Function

Highlighting search

Highlight top values

SMALL function

Highlighting SMALL

Conditional formatting hacks

Cross off your to dos

Long term career goals

Ranking your goals

Crossing them off

Conditional Formatting Hacks

In this chapter, you will use everything you have learned about conditional formatting to analyze a company's payroll. You will be working with dates, looking for duplicates, and checking for errors to create your report.  

Working with payroll dates

ISDATE function

Correcting your report

Checking for duplicates

Checking a payroll register

Paid time off totals

Pay allowed range

Moving to part-time

Overall payroll analysis

Year-to-date

Positive variances

Negative variances

Congratulations!

Putting It All Together

Spreadsheets often suffer from having too much data. If you want to tell the underlying story that is in the data without creating additional reports, conditional formatting can help! Whether it's showing the age of your inventory by highlighting the items using a color scale, or accentuating the largest variances in year over year financial data, conditional formatting has built-in options that can be used without any complex code. It can be used instead of sorting or filtering since it works with the data that is already there! By the end, you will be creating your own report using conditional formatting to analyze a company's payroll.

<p>Spreadsheets often suffer from having too much data. If you want to tell the underlying story that is in the data without creating additional reports, conditional formatting can help! Whether it's showing the age of your inventory by highlighting the items using a color scale, or accentuating the largest variances in year over year financial data, conditional formatting has built-in options that can be used without any complex code. It can be used instead of sorting or filtering since it works with the data that is already there! By the end, you will be creating your own report using conditional formatting to analyze a company's payroll.</p>

<h2>Understanding Conditional Formatting</h2>
<p>Delve deeper into the world of conditional formatting, a feature in spreadsheets that allows you to apply specific formatting to cells based on certain criteria. This section of the course covers the basics of conditional formatting, including how to set it up, common uses, and troubleshooting tips. You'll learn how to use different types of conditional formatting, like color scales and data bars, to make your data visually appealing and easier to analyze. This understanding will empower you to transform complex datasets into meaningful information with just a few clicks.</p>

<h2>Advanced Techniques and Applications</h2>
<p>In this advanced section, we explore the more intricate aspects of conditional formatting. Here, you will learn how to apply conditional formatting to entire rows or columns, use formulas for more complex criteria, and create custom formats for unique scenarios. This part of the course also includes real-world examples, such as tracking project timelines, budget analysis, and performance metrics. By mastering these techniques, you'll be able to bring a new level of sophistication to your data analysis and reporting skills.</p>

<h2>Hands-On Project: Analyzing Company Payroll</h2>
<p>The course culminates in a hands-on project where you will apply your newly acquired skills to analyze a company's payroll using conditional formatting. This project involves creating a comprehensive report that highlights key payroll metrics, identifies discrepancies, and provides insights into employee compensation. Through this practical application, you'll not only reinforce your learning but also gain valuable experience in using conditional formatting for real business scenarios. This project will serve as a significant addition to your portfolio, showcasing your ability to turn data into actionable insights.</p>

Data Analysis in Google Sheets

Learn how to use conditional formatting with your data through built-in options and by creating custom formulas. 

Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets

Negative variances

Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets

Exercise instructions

Hands-on interactive exercise