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How to change background color based on cell value in Excel?

When we deal with huge data in Excel, we may want to pick out some specific data and highlight them, such as change their background color. This article is talking about how to change the background color based on cell values in Excel quickly.

Change background color based on cell value with Conditional Formatting command

Change background color based on cell value with Kutools for Excel

Change background color based on specific value or text with Kutools for Excel

Select and change background color based on cell value:

Kutools for Excel’s Select Specific Cells feature can help you find and select the specific cells, and then you can do some formatting for the selected cells you need.

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arrow blue right bubble Change background color based on cell value with Conditional Formatting command

Supposing you have a range of data, and now you need to color the values between 80 and 100, as the following screenshot shown, how could you change background color based on cell value?

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Excel's Conditional Formatting command can change background color for specific cells based on their values with following steps:

1. Select the range that you will work with, then click the Home > Conditional Formatting > New Rule….

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2. In the New Formatting Rule dialog box, select and highlight the Format only cells that contain item in the Select a Rule Type: box, and in the Format Only Cells with section, specify the conditions that you need.

  • In the first drop down box, select the Cell Value;
  • In the second drop down box, select the criteria:between;
  • In the third and fourth box, enter the filter conditions, such as 80, 100.

3. Click the Format button, in the Format Cells dialog box, set the background color under Fill tab.

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4. Click OK > OK to close the dialogs. Then the specific cells with value between 80 and 100 are filled with the new background color in the selection. See screenshot:

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Note: The Conditional Formatting is a dynamic feature, the cell color will be changed as the data changes.

arrow blue right bubble Change background color based on cell value with Kutools for Excel

Except the Conditional Formatting, here, we bring you another easy way: Kutools for Excel's Select Specific Cells tool, which can help you select the specific cells firstly, and fill them later.

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After Installing Kutools for Excel, please do as follows:

1. Select the range that you will work with, and click the Kutools > Select > Select Specific Cells….

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2. In the Select Specific Cells dialog box, check the Cell option; specify the filter condition from Specific type, and then click OK button. See the following screenshot:

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3. Then cells containing values between 80 and 100 are selected in the selection. Go on to click the Fill button doc-change-fill-color9 under Home tab to change their background color. See screenshot:

doc-change-fill-color8-8

 Download and free trial Kutools for Excel Now!

arrow blue right bubble Change background color based on specific value or text with Kutools for Excel

This Select Specific Cells utility also can help you to select and color the specific text or value as you need. Please do as follows:

1. Select the data range that you want to color the specific cells.

2. Then apply this Select Specific Cells feature, in the popped out dialog box, click Cell under the Selection type, and choose Equals from the Specific type drop down list, then enter the specific text or value that you want to select. See screenshot:

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3. Then click Ok button, and the specific values in the selection have been selected, and then specify a color under the Fill Color button to shade the cells you need, see screenshot:

doc-change-fill-color10-10

Click to know more about this Kutools for Excel's Select Specific Cells tool.

Download and free trial Kutools for Excel Now!

arrow blue right bubbleDemo: Change background color based on cell value with Kutools for Excel

Kutools for Excel: with more than 200 handy Excel add-ins, free to try with no limitation in 60 days. Download and free trial Now!

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  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Scott · 1 months ago
    I thought this color of cells by value was going to be a real pain. It could not have been explained more easily and clearly. Thanks. It took no less than 1-2 minutes to understand what to do.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    govind · 9 months ago
    HI,

    I want if i change any value or number in any cell then that cell text color should get change for e.g. if number in any cell is 100 and I have to change it as 98 then that cell text 98 should change into red color. Is it possible in Excel?? Do clarify please
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Crystal · 1 years ago
    So I am creating a excel spreadsheet for fire department reports. What I am looking for is it to calculate the days a report is overdue, unless it has been completed:

    Column A Column B Column C Column D Column E Column F
    Incident # Incident Date Todays Date Completed Date Days Overdue Todays Date

    I want column B subtracting Column C to calculate in column E unless Column D is complete. I hope this makes sense. I want to use the conditional formatting to show me in colors how long a report is overdue (with the 3 color scale). I have the formula for the number of days it is overdue to have a correct value and color scale, but I want it to remain green when the report has been completed.
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    Mahdi · 1 years ago
    Hi..i wanna set a rule for some cells containing Date values(such as 07-02-2016)in order to change backgrounds for example 10 days before that Date arrives or in the day that Date arrives.
    how can i do this?
  • To post as a guest, your comment is unpublished.
    subramani · 1 years ago
    Dear Sir,

    i want to Differentiate the color while entering the time , for example if i typed 9:00 a.m. that cell will show white color (but enter the time 9:01 the color must vary) and enter the time 6:00 p.m. that cell will shows white color (but enter the time 6:01 the color must vary).

    Please help me.

    thank you