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How to highlight column or column header if it is filtered in Excel?

For a table with multiple columns, it is not easy to find out which column is filtered at a glance as there is no obvious symbol for the filtered column except for a mark. If you want to make the filtered column outstanding in a table, a method in this article can help you.

Highlight column header or entire column if it is filtered with VBA code


Highlight column header or entire column if it is filtered with VBA code

As below screenshot shown, you need to highlight the entire column or only the column header if this column is filtered in a table range, please apply the following VBA codes.

1. Press the Alt + F11 keys to open the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window.

2. In the Microsoft Visual Basic for Applications window, please click Insert > Module. Then copy the below VBA code into the Module window.

VBA code: Highlight column header if the column is filtered

Sub HighLightTitle()
'Updated by Extendoffice 2017/9/12
    Dim xRg As Range
    Dim I As Integer
    Dim xCount As Long
    Dim xRgCol As Long
    Dim xAddress As String
    Dim xFilterCount As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    xAddress = ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Address
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("Please select the first cell of the table range:", "KuTools For Excel", xAddress, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    xRg.Select
    With xRg(1).Parent.AutoFilter
        xFilterCount = .Range.Columns.Count
        xRgCol = xRg.Offset(1).Column - .Range.Column + 1
        For I = xRgCol To xFilterCount
            xCount = xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Column - .Range.Column + 1
            With .Filters(xCount)
                If .On Then
                    xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Interior.Color = 16736553
                End If
            End With
        Next
    End With
End Sub

For highlighting entire column if it is filtered in a table, please copy and paste the below VBA code into the Module window.

VBA code: Highlight entire column if it is filtered

Sub HighLightCols()
'Updated by Extendoffice 2017/9/12
    Dim xRg As Range
    Dim xCount As Long
    Dim xRgCol As Long
    Dim xAddress As String
    Dim xRgFilter As Range
    Dim xFilterCount As Long
    On Error Resume Next
    xAddress = ActiveWindow.RangeSelection.Address
    Set xRg = Application.InputBox("Please select the first cell of the table range:", "KuTools For Excel", xAddress, , , , , 8)
    If xRg Is Nothing Then Exit Sub
    xRg.Select
    With xRg(1).Parent.AutoFilter
        xFilterCount = .Range.Columns.Count
        xRgCol = xRg(1).Column - .Range.Column + 1
        For I = xRgCol To xFilterCount
            xCount = xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Column - .Range.Column + 1
            With .Filters(xCount)
                Set xRgFilter = xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Parent.AutoFilter.Range.Columns(xCount)
                If .On Then
                    xRgFilter.Interior.Color = 16736553
                End If
            End With
        Next
    End With
End Sub

3. Press the F5 key to run the code. In the popping up Kutools for Excel dialog box, please select the first cell of the table you need to highlight the filtered column header or entire filtered column, and then click the OK button.

Then the column header or entire column will be highlighted immediately if the column is filtered in a certain table. See screenshots:

Highlight column header if the column is filtered in the table:

Highlight entire column if it is filtered in the table:


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Comments (5)
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This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
this would be fantastic for me, but I couldn't make it work. I used the code to color the whole column. when I filtered the first time, the column turned blue. however when I cleared the filter, the blue remained. Afterwards, filtering another column had no effect. so at the moment I am left with one blue column. using latest Excel of Office 365.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
Hi,
Thank you for your comment.
The problem you mentioned is too complicated to acheive now. We will try our best to solve it as soon as possible and let you know after we figure it out.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
To Correct this, change:
If .On Then

xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Interior.Color = 16736553

End If

To:
If .On Then

xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Interior.Color = 16736553

Else

xRg.Offset(, I - xRgCol).Interior.Color = 16777215

End If



Not it will remove the color.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
I had the same issue. Once the column is unfiltered. The column remained blue. Also, when do you filter a new column, it's unchanged. The vba doesn't make it highlighted in the new filter column.
This comment was minimized by the moderator on the site
solution that can help create updated vba is TO add additional duplicate first raw in row A1, Row A2 should be the beginning of the filtered data ( exact duplicate of all data in Row A1 - Row A1 and A2 should me same ), so we always have one header line without filter drop down icon and with OG format, once the macro is ran with few columns filtered it will highlight the filtered column as usual and after removing the desired columns filter or all columns filter it should copy the format in A1 Column, for the columns with no filtered sorting can this be done ?
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