Step 5 - Conditional Cell Formatting

Once you’ve selected your columns and defined their labels and formats, Step 5 lets you take your report to the next level with Conditional Cell Formatting. This is where you make important data stand out visually, helping users quickly identify key figures or statuses at a glance.

What is Cell Formatting?

Cell Formatting applies special styles (like font colors, backgrounds, or highlights) to individual cells in your report, based on the values they contain.

For example:

If the Currency field is "USD", display the text in red.
If the Invoice Total is greater than $1,000, display the amount in green.
If the Due Date has passed, highlight the date in orange.

These visual cues make reports easier to read and help users instantly recognize critical information.

Available Operators for Conditional Formatting

When creating cell formatting rules, you’ll choose from several operators. Here's what each one does, with examples to make them clear:

EQUAL

This operator checks if a value is exactly equal to what you specify.

Example:
If Currency = USD, apply red font color.

Works well with:

Text fields (Currency, Status, Names).
Numbers (Invoice Total = 1000).
Dates (Due Date = 01-01-2024).

NOT EQUAL

This does the opposite of EQUAL. It applies formatting when the value is not equal to the one specified.

Example:
If Status ≠ Paid, highlight the status in yellow to indicate attention needed.

Applicable to:

Text, numbers, and dates.

GREATER THAN

This applies formatting if the value is larger than the specified number or date.

Example:
If Invoice Total > 1000, apply green font color to highlight high-value invoices.

Typically used with:

Numbers (Amount, Quantity).
Dates (Due Date > today).

GREATER THAN OR EQUAL

Similar to GREATER THAN, but it also includes the exact value you specify.

Example:
If Quantity ≥ 50, apply bold font to emphasize large orders.

Ideal for:

Numbers.
Dates.

LESS THAN OR EQUAL

This applies when the value is equal to or smaller than the specified number or date.

Example:
If Stock Level ≤ 10, color the cell red to warn of low inventory.

Works with:

Numbers.
Dates.

BETWEEN

Use this operator to apply formatting when a value falls within a specific range.

Example:
If Invoice Total is between 500 and 1000, apply blue text color.

Perfect for:

Numbers (Amount ranges).
Dates (Date ranges).

Defining Multiple Formatting Rules

You’re not limited to just one rule. You can define as many conditional formatting rules as you need to help your audience understand the data.

For example:

Red for overdue invoices.
Green for high-value invoices.
Yellow for pending statuses.
Blue for medium-range amounts.

Rules are applied in the order you create them, so it's a good idea to plan which conditions should take priority.

Why Use Conditional Cell Formatting?

Draw attention to important data.
Improve report readability.
Guide users to act on critical values.
Make reports more dynamic and visually engaging.

Once you finish adding each individual formatting of cells press NEXT to advance to the final step - Report Settings.