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How to remove conditional formatting from blank cells in Excel?

Author: Siluvia Last Modified: 2024-09-18

When there are blank cells in the selected range, the blank cells will get formatted when you use formula in the conditional formatting rule. For removing the conditional formatting from blank cells (do not show conditional formatting in the blank cells) in Excel, there are two methods for you. Please browse the below tutorial for more details.

Remove conditional formatting from blank cells with adding a new rule of blanks
Remove conditional formatting from blank cells with formula


Remove conditional formatting from blank cells with adding a new rule of blanks

In this section, you will learn how to create a new rule with blanks for removing conditional formatting from blank cells. Actually, this cannot really remove the format from the blank cells, it just adds a new rule with no format set for the blank cells.

1. Select the range with the conditional formatting you have created before.

2. Click Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules under Home tab. See screenshot:

Click Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules under Home tab

3. In the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box, click the New Rule button.

click New Rule in the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box

4. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, you need to:

1). In the Select a Rule Type section, select Format only cells that contain;
2). In the Edit the Rule Description section, select Blanks in the first Format only cells with drop-down list;
3). Keep the format in the No Format Set status;
4). Click the OK button. See screenshot:

set options in the New Formatting Rule dialog box

5. When it returns to the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box, check the Stop If True box for the new Blanks rule, and then click the OK button.

check the Stop If True box for the new Blanks rule

6. Then you will see all blank cells in the selected range are added with no format set.

all blank cells in the selected range are added with no format set

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Remove conditional formatting from blank cells with formula

Besides the above method, here I will show you a formula for removing conditional formatting from blank cells. The same as above, it gives the blank cells a no format set conditional rule.

1. Select the range you have added conditional formatting.

2. Then go to the Home tab, click Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules.

click Conditional Formatting > Manage Rules

3. In the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box, click the New Rule button.

click New Rule in the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box

4. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, please do as follows step by step.

1). Select Use a formula to determine which cells to format in the Select a Rule Type section;
2). Copy and paste the formula =ISBLANK(A1)=TRUE into the Edit values where this formula is true box;
3). Keep the No Format Set status;
4). Click the OK button. See screenshot:

set options in the New Formatting Rule dialog box

Note: The A1 in the formula is the first cell in your selected range. You need to change to your selected one.

5. In the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager dialog box, check the Stop If True box for the new created rule, and then click the OK button.

check the Stop If True box for the new created rule


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