Highlighting rows based on any text entered

Copper Contributor

I have an excel sheet with multiple columns. I want entire rows to be highlighted if I enter any text into one column. For example, anytime I enter any text into column H, I want that row to highlight. I know how to have rows highlight due to a specific text, but I want as I enter in text to column H, it to highlight that row. 

5 Replies

@Isabella1228 

To highlight the content of a whole row you can follow these simple steps:
1) Select the range of cells you want to highlight.
2) Among the Conditional Formating options, choose "New Rule"
3) Now, select the last of the options: "Use a formula to ..."
4) The formula must be a logical one, that is, it must return TRUE or FALSE.
    To write the formula, you must take as an argument the first cell on the top left of the range.
     For example, = ISBLANK ($ H2) = FALSE
(This formula will return TRUE only when the cell is complete) Notice that there is a mixed reference: The column is fixed while the row is free! This allows the condition to apply to all rows in the selected range.
5) Then, you can configure the formatting options as you wish.

I hope this helps!

@PaulTips I did this but it didn't work, I am not sure where I went wrong. 

@Isabella1228 

A few typos in the formula.

 

Formula:

=ISBLANK($H2)=FALSE

 

Applies to:

=$A$2:$H$9

 

Thank you, that worked! However, do you know why when I enter in something to column H, it highlights the one above it and not to one I entered info into?@Patrick2788 

@Isabella1228  The reason for your mistake is that you have selected the whole range, including the headers. Do it again, but this time don't select the headers.
Go ahead!