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Abstract 

In this lesson we show you how to easily change a basic conditional formatting rule.

Transcript 

Once a conditional formatting rule has been created, it can be easily revised. You can change the condition that triggers the formatting, the formatting itself, and the cells that the conditional format applies to.

Let's take a look.

Once a conditional formatting rule is defined, it can be revised or deleted. To see and edit a conditional formatting rule, select Manage Rules from the Conditional Formatting menu. By default the Manage Rules dialog box is set to the Current Selection.

If you've already selected at least one cell that has the conditional formatting rule applied, the rule will appear automatically in the list. If not, switch the dropdown menu to This Worksheet. To edit the rule, select it in the list and click the "Edit Rule" button. You can then adjust both the condition and the formatting applied.

Let's adjust the threshold for our rule to 95. Click OK to return to the Rules Manager, and OK again to confirm the change.

Now let's edit the formatting. Again, we select Manage Rules from the Conditional Formatting menu. Then select the rule and click Edit Rule. This time, we click the Format button. When you click Format, you'll see a stripped down version of the Format Cells dialog box.

Let's change the fill to a darker green, and set the font color to white. When we click OK, we return to the Rules Manager, and see that the preview has been updated. Click OK again to confirm the change.

Finally, let's look at how to adjust which cells the conditional formatting rule applies to. In the Manage Rules window, the cells that the format applies to are listed in the "Applies to" input area. The easiest way to update this reference is to click the button at the right. Excel will collapse the window, and wait for you to make a selection in the worksheet. Just select the cells you'd like to format and press enter to confirm the selection. Then press OK to confirm the change and return to the worksheet.

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AuthorMicrosoft Most Valuable Professional Award

Dave Bruns

Hi - I'm Dave Bruns, and I run Exceljet with my wife, Lisa. Our goal is to help you work faster in Excel. We create short videos, and clear examples of formulas, functions, pivot tables, conditional formatting, and charts.