How to Do Conditional Formatting in an Excel Pivot Table?

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Conditional formatting is a powerful feature in Excel that allows you to automatically apply formatting—such as colors, icons, and data bars—to cells based on their values. This feature becomes especially useful when applied to Pivot Tables, as it can help to quickly highlight trends, patterns, or outliers in your data. In this article, you’ll learn how to do conditional formatting in an Excel Pivot Table with a step-by-step guide.

Step-by-Step Guide to Apply Conditional Formatting in Excel Pivot Tables

1. Create Your Pivot Table

Before you can apply conditional formatting, you need to have a Pivot Table ready. If you haven’t created one yet, follow these steps:

1. Select your data range.
2. Go to the Insert tab.
3. Click on Pivot Table.
4. Choose where you want the Pivot Table to be placed (New Worksheet or Existing Worksheet).
5. Drag and drop the relevant fields into the Rows, Columns, and Values areas to set up your Pivot Table.

2. Select the Cells You Want to Format

In your Pivot Table, select the cells or the range of cells where you want to apply conditional formatting. You can do this by:

• Clicking on a specific cell.
• Dragging your mouse over a range of cells.
• Using the Ctrl key to select multiple cells or ranges.

3. Access the Conditional Formatting Menu

Once your cells are selected:

1. Go to the Home tab on the Excel ribbon.
2. Click on Conditional Formatting in the Styles group.

4. Choose a Conditional Formatting Rule

In the Conditional Formatting menu, you will see several options:

• Highlight Cells Rules: Format cells that are greater than, less than, between, or equal to specific values.
• Top/Bottom Rules: Format the top 10 items, top 10%, bottom 10 items, bottom 10%, or above/below average values.
• Data Bars: Add a colored bar in the background of each cell to visually represent the cell value.
• Color Scales: Apply a gradient color scale across your data range.
• Icon Sets: Add icons to cells based on their values.

Choose the rule that best fits your needs.

5. Apply the Conditional Formatting Rule

After selecting a rule, a dialog box will appear where you can:

• Set the conditions for formatting.
• Choose the format type (color, icon, or data bar).
• Adjust thresholds for the rules (if necessary).

For example, if you choose Color Scales:

• You can select a 2-Color or 3-Color scale.
• Define what the colors represent (e.g., red for low values and green for high values).

6. Apply Conditional Formatting to All Pivot Table Cells

If you want the conditional formatting to apply to all relevant cells in the Pivot Table, rather than just the selected cells:

1. Click on the Conditional Formatting dropdown in the Home tab.
2. Select Manage Rules.
3. In the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager window, select the rule you just created.
4. Click on Edit Rule.
5. In the Applies to box, change the cell range to apply the rule to the entire Pivot Table.

7. Use Formula-Based Conditional Formatting (Optional)

For more advanced users, you can create custom formulas for conditional formatting. This is useful when you want to apply conditional formatting based on criteria that aren’t directly related to the cell value.

To do this:

1. In the Conditional Formatting menu, choose New Rule.
2. Select Use a formula to determine which cells to format.
3. Enter your formula. For example, =B2>100 will format cells in column B if they are greater than 100.
4. Click Format and choose your formatting options.
5. Click OK to apply the rule.

8. Check the Conditional Formatting Across Pivot Table Changes

One of the unique aspects of Pivot Tables is that they can change dynamically as you add or remove fields or refresh the data. It’s essential to ensure that your conditional formatting adapts to these changes. Here’s how to manage it:

• Preserve Formatting: After applying conditional formatting, right-click on the Pivot Table and choose PivotTable Options. Under the Layout & Format tab, check the box for Preserve cell formatting on update. This ensures that your conditional formatting remains intact even when the Pivot Table is refreshed or altered.
• Apply to New Data: If new data is added to the Pivot Table, ensure your conditional formatting rules are set to adjust automatically. You can do this by specifying a broader range in the Applies to section of the rule, or by selecting the entire column or row range.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

When working with conditional formatting in Pivot Tables, you might encounter some challenges. Here are solutions to common problems:

Conditional Formatting Not Applying to New Data

If your conditional formatting doesn’t automatically apply to new data added to the Pivot Table, ensure that:

• The Applies to range is set correctly.
• The formatting is applied to the entire Pivot Table, not just a selection of cells.

Formatting Disappears After Refresh

If your conditional formatting disappears after refreshing the Pivot Table:

• Go to PivotTable Options and ensure Preserve cell formatting on update is checked.

Conflicting Rules

If multiple conditional formatting rules are applied to the same range, conflicts can arise. To resolve this:

• Use the Manage Rules option to prioritize the rules by moving them up or down in the list.

Best Practices for Conditional Formatting in Pivot Tables

To get the most out of conditional formatting in your Pivot Tables, consider the following best practices:

1. Limit the Number of Rules: Applying too many rules can make your data difficult to interpret. Stick to a few key rules that highlight the most critical data points.
2. Use Consistent Formatting: Consistency helps in making the Pivot Table easier to read and understand. For instance, use similar color scales or icon sets for related data.
3. Test Your Formatting: Before finalizing your Pivot Table, test the conditional formatting by refreshing the data or changing fields to ensure the formatting remains effective.
4. Focus on Readability: The primary goal of conditional formatting is to make your data more readable and insightful. Avoid overcomplicating the formatting with too many colors or icons.
5. Use Sparingly on Large Data Sets: While conditional formatting is a powerful tool, using it on very large data sets can slow down Excel’s performance. Apply it only to the most relevant parts of your Pivot Table.

Final Thoughts

Conditional formatting in Excel Pivot Tables is an excellent way to enhance the visibility of key data points, trends, and outliers in your dataset. By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily apply and manage conditional formatting to make your Pivot Tables more informative and visually appealing. Remember to preserve formatting when updating your Pivot Table and keep best practices in mind to maintain clarity and performance.

Vaishvi Desai

Vaishvi Desai is the founder of Excelsamurai and a passionate Excel enthusiast with years of experience in data analysis and spreadsheet management. With a mission to help others harness the power of Excel, Vaishvi shares her expertise through concise, easy-to-follow tutorials on shortcuts, formulas, Pivot Tables, and VBA.