Conditional formatting based on several columns

1. In Excel 2016 click the first cell you want to format, e.g. A2.
2. Click New Rule...
3. Click Use a format to determine which cells to format
4. In the field, Format values where this formula is true, input =C2>B2
5. Select A2 (first field with name) and click the Format Painter button (Home Ribbon > Clipboard > Paint Brush)
6. Click or Click and drag over the fields you want to use the same formula.

Strategy for "conditional formatting" that is more complex than covered by the automatic ones.

If possible; select a cell and write a single formula for the evaluation. Copy the formula text into the clipboard (CTRL-C).

If the criteria is more complex, use intermediate calculations, possibly in several cells; then write a formula similar to above (in yet another cell) and copy that to the clipboard.


Select the cells that you wish to have the conditional formatting applied to.

Open the conditional formatting dialog, add a new formula based formatting and paste (CTRL-V) your formula.

Select the formatting and click OK.