Have you ever struggled with highlighting cells in Google Sheets if all the cells have content? The default options in the conditional formatting menu may not always meet your needs. But fear not! With custom formulas, you can unlock a whole new world of possibilities for conditional formatting in Google Sheets. In this article, I’ll show you how to use a custom formula to highlight cells in a range only if all the cells have content. It’s like having a secret weapon in your data analysis arsenal!
What Does “Highlight If All The Cells Have Content in Range” Mean?
Let’s start with a simple example. Imagine you have data in the range A2:E2, and you want to highlight all the cells in this range only if all the cells have content. This means that every cell in A2, B2, C2, D2, and E2 should contain data. This same principle can be applied to multiple rows using a single custom formula.
Why Use This Type of Formatting/Highlighting?
This custom formatting technique can be incredibly helpful in easily identifying partially filled information in a list or table. For instance, if you collect data via a form in Google Sheets, you can use this formula to highlight any partially filled rows, making it easier to spot incomplete entries. It’s a real time-saver!
How to Highlight If All The Cells Have Content in Range
In this example, let’s say our range is A2:E, and we want to highlight any rows where all five cells are filled. Instead of applying the formatting to the entire A2:E range, we can achieve the same result with just one formula. Intrigued? Let me show you how.
The custom formula you need is =counta($A2:$E2)=columns($A$2:$E$2). To apply this formula, follow these simple steps:
- Select the range A2:E.
- Go to the Data menu and choose Conditional Formatting.
- In the custom formula field, enter the formula mentioned above.
- Click Done.
Voila! Now, the selected range will be highlighted if all the cells in that range contain content. It’s like magic!
“But how does this formula actually work?” you may wonder. Let me break it down for you.
The formula consists of two key Google Sheets functions: COUNTA and COLUMNS. The COUNTA function counts the content in the selected range, regardless of whether it’s text, numbers, dates, or any other character. On the other hand, the COLUMNS function returns the number of actual columns in the selected range.
In our example, =counta($A2:$E2) counts the content in all the cells from A2 to E2, while =columns($A$2:$E$2) returns the number 5 (because there are 5 columns in the range). If all the cells are filled with content, the formula =counta($A2:$E2)=columns($A$2:$E$2) evaluates to TRUE, triggering the highlighting.
I must confess, the formula =counta($A2:$E2)=5 would work just fine. However, I included the COLUMNS function to give you more flexibility. Manually counting the columns in a range and inputting the number can be tedious, especially if you’re dealing with a large number of columns. So why not let Google Sheets do the heavy lifting for you?
And there you have it! You now know the secret formula to conditionally highlight cells in a range if all the cells have content. It’s a game-changer that will take your Google Sheets skills to a whole new level!
If you want to dive deeper into conditional formatting techniques in Google Sheets, be sure to check out these related articles:
- Highlight an Entire Row in Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets
- The Role of Indirect Function in Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets
- Conditional Format Based on Group of Data in Google Sheets
Now go forth and impress your friends with your newfound Google Sheets superpowers! And remember, for more valuable insights and tips, visit Crawlan.com. Happy Sheets-ing!
