Highlighting across multiple sheets

[RFullen]

I have a master sheet with data. This data is split into 5 separate sheets on the same excel document, so 6 sheets in total. Is there a way to have excel highlight across the sheets? The goal I'm trying to achieve is that when information is highlighted by hand in sheets 2-6, that the information that matches it in sheet 1 is also highlighted. Thank you for any help!

[#2]

@RFullen 

You're getting close to 100 views with no replies. Usually that means that the request is hard to follow or make sense of. I think that is the case here, with your post.

Too many unanswered questions.

• Why do you have those five separate sheets, for starters?
• Are the sheets all organized the same way?
• Why are you highlighting some cells manually (rather than using conditional formatting)?
• Are the cells you're highlighting randomly arrayed on those sheets, or are they consistent in each of the five?
• Is the master sheet with data drawing data from the five separate? How? (What functions/formulas?)
• Is the master sheet arrayed in the same manner as the five?

And those are just some starter questions.

Is it possible for you to post a copy of the workbook on OneDrive or GoogleDrive with a link pasted here that grants access to it? If all the data are confidential, post a reasonable facsimile that illustrates things as they are, but without disclosing customer or individual names.

[#3]

Good morning,

1) The master sheet has all the collective data on it. It is then split into 5 separate sheets for my team to work individually.
2) All sheets are organized the same way. The information from the master sheet has been copied and pasted onto the 5 smaller sheets.
3) They going to be highlighted manually by each team member as they complete each line.
4) The data is arranged in A to Z order on all sheets. There might be a little bit of change amongst the sheets as some information was unable to be copied and pasted as is (information needed during copy and paste ended in the middle of information groups).
5) No, the five separate sheets are copies of information from the master sheet.
6) It should be arrayed in the same manner aside from some information not being out of order on the separate sheets.

I'll have to think about a reasonable facsimile that is comparable to the information I am using.

[#4]

@RFullen 

Your answers raise still more questions about the process/procedures you and the team are following.

1) The master sheet has all the collective data on it. It is then split into 5 separate sheets for my team to work individually.

So the process begins with the master, which has all the collective data? But you (the collective "you") also are entering new data (it would appear) in those separate sheets and that gets collected back into the master. Correct? I asked at the start, HOW that happens? What functions or formulas are being used to update the "master"? Or is it just the same data (with exceptions as noted below) and it's the highlighting that needs to be brought back?

2) All sheets are organized the same way. The information from the master sheet has been copied and pasted onto the 5 smaller sheets.
3) They going to be highlighted manually by each team member as they complete each line.

I asked "Why" this highlighting is done manually. Why not use conditional formatting? Are the criteria that prompt the highlighting not something that could be recognized in a conditional formatting rule?

4) The data is arranged in A to Z order on all sheets. There might be a little bit of change amongst the sheets as some information was unable to be copied and pasted as is (information needed during copy and paste ended in the middle of information groups).

i.e., they're the same except that they're not.

5) No, the five separate sheets are copies of information from the master sheet.

That's all they are? Just copies (except, as noted above, when they're not)? Then why not just keep the single master and have highlighting done (manually) in different colors on that single master?

6) It should be arrayed in the same manner aside from some information not being out of order on the separate sheets.

I think it would be helpful if you step back from the details--which are confusing--and describe the whole process a bit more. It's sounding as if we're not dealing with collecting data on the five separate sheets, but just getting some highlights (based on reasons not made clear) of the same data (with occasional added rows (?) for some of those separate team members.

So what's the business context? What does the data represent? Who are the separate team members representing? What is the purpose of the highlighting?

As I said in the first post, these are starter questions, not an exhaustive set of questions. If we were sitting down face-to-face, I'd be able to see and ask more; you'd be able to explain more and illustrate. What we need to do is develop a clear understanding of what this is all about.