Apply Conditional Formatting to an Entire Row in Google Sheets

Video google sheet highlight row

Google Sheets is a powerful tool that can help you organize and analyze your data. One of its key features is conditional formatting, which allows you to highlight cells based on certain conditions. In this article, we will show you how to apply conditional formatting to an entire row in Google Sheets. So grab your favorite beverage and let’s get started!

Applying Conditional Formatting to an Entire Row

To demonstrate this feature, we have created a sample dataset. You can access it by clicking here and follow along with the steps at your own pace.

Our example dataset displays information about 7 individuals and their ages. We want to apply a custom format to all rows where the person’s age is less than 33. To accomplish this, we will use conditional formatting with a custom formula.

1. Highlight the Desired Rows

Start by highlighting the rows that you want to apply conditional formatting to. You can do this by clicking and dragging across the row numbers. If you want to select individual or non-consecutive rows, hold down the Ctrl key (Cmd ⌘ on Mac) while clicking on each row. In our example, we want to include all rows except for the header row.

2. Click on Format > Conditional formatting

Next, navigate to the top navigation bar and click on Format. Then, select Conditional formatting from the dropdown menu.

Format Menu

3. Set the Formatting Rule to “Custom formula is”

The conditional formatting rules will appear on the right side of the screen. Expand the dropdown menu in the Format rules section titled Format cells if.. By default, it will display is not empty, but you should change this to Custom formula is by selecting that option from the bottom of the dropdown menu.

4. Enter the Custom Formula = $Column and First_Row [Condition]

A text input box will appear, where you need to enter your custom formula. Let’s break down the formula:

  • $Column and First_Row: This is the column that the formula will search, followed by the number of the first row in your selection. Note that it’s important to match the first-row number to the first row of the selected range.
  • [Condition]: This is the condition that you want to include in the formula. In our example, we will use a less than condition.

In our example, the custom formula will start with =$C4. Since we want to apply formatting to all rows where the age is less than 33, we need to include the following instruction <33.

The complete custom formula for our example is =$C4<33.

5. Define the Formatting Style

In the Formatting style section, define the desired format for all rows that meet the conditions. There are several formatting options available, including text and cell color, as well as the ability to make the text bold, italic, underline, or strikethrough.

For our example, we have set the format to underline the text and change the cell color to orange.

6. Preview the Results by Clicking on Done

At the bottom of the Format rules section, you will find the Done button. Click on it, and the conditional formatting will be applied. The results will be displayed if the conditions are met.

In our example, all rows containing an age less than 33 are now formatted according to our conditions.

Now you can easily automate deadline reminders using our date tracking software directly from your Google Sheets.

If you enjoyed this article, you may also like our article on how to set conditional formatting in Google Sheets based on the text in another cell or our article on how to set multiple conditional formatting in Google Sheets.

If you’re interested in learning how to extract email addresses, we suggest checking out our detailed guide on Crawlan.com.

Now go forth and make the most of Google Sheets with your newfound knowledge! Happy organizing!

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