Conditional formatting basics in Google Sheets - Cheat Sheet & Quick Revision

Recall & Review

beginner

What is conditional formatting in Google Sheets?

Conditional formatting changes the look of cells automatically based on rules you set. For example, it can color cells red if the number is below 50.

beginner

How do you apply conditional formatting to a range of cells?

Select the cells, then go to Format > Conditional formatting. Set your rule and choose the formatting style, then click 'Done'.

beginner

What types of rules can you use in conditional formatting?

You can use rules like 'Cell is greater than', 'Text contains', 'Date is before', or custom formulas to decide when to format cells.

intermediate

What happens if multiple conditional formatting rules apply to the same cell?

Google Sheets applies the first rule that matches. You can reorder rules to change which one applies first.

intermediate

Can you use formulas in conditional formatting? How?

Yes! Choose 'Custom formula is' in the rule type, then enter a formula that returns TRUE or FALSE. TRUE means the formatting applies.

Which menu do you use to start conditional formatting in Google Sheets?

A Format

B Data

C Insert

D Tools

Conditional formatting is found under the Format menu.

What does conditional formatting do?

A Adds comments to cells

B Deletes cells with errors

C Sorts data alphabetically

D Automatically changes cell appearance based on rules

Conditional formatting changes how cells look based on conditions you set.

If you want to highlight cells with values greater than 100, which rule type should you choose?

A Cell is greater than

B Text contains

C Date is before

D Custom formula is

Use 'Cell is greater than' to highlight numbers above a certain value.

What does a custom formula in conditional formatting need to return to apply formatting?

A A number

B A text string

C TRUE or FALSE

D An error

The formula must return TRUE to apply the formatting.

If two rules apply to the same cell, which one is used?

A The last rule in the list

B The first rule that matches

C Both rules apply at the same time

D No rule applies

Google Sheets applies the first matching rule based on the order.

Explain how to set up a conditional formatting rule to highlight cells with values less than 50.

Think about the steps from selecting cells to applying the rule.

Describe how custom formulas work in conditional formatting and give a simple example.

Remember the formula logic and how it controls formatting.