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3 Quick Ways To Highlight A Whole Column In Google Sheets

In our today’s technology guide, you will learn how to highlight a whole column in google sheets. Despite the fact that Sheets lacks excel useful highlight feature, you can still accomplish the same task using Google Sheets. Here’s a Google Sheets tip for highlighting a whole column. 

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There are two primary techniques to highlight a whole column in Google Sheets. One strategy is to use a backdrop color to highlight every cell in a column. The alternative method entails conditional formatting. This guide will show you how to use both approaches. 

Do you find Google Sheets difficult to use? Unable to locate the highlight tool? Here’s a Google Sheets tip for highlighting a whole column. But before that’ let’s get to know more about Google sheets.

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What Is Google Sheets?

 

With the help of the web-based application Google Sheets, users can make, edit, and share spreadsheets online in real time. 

The Google product has capabilities that are common to spreadsheets, like the ability to add, remove, and sort rows and columns. However, unlike other spreadsheet applications, Google Sheets also enables a number of geographically distant people to work together on a spreadsheet at the same time and interact using an integrated instant messaging software. 

Spreadsheets can be immediately uploaded by users from their PCs or mobile devices. Users may view other users’ modifications while they are being made, and the program immediately saves every update.

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The Google Docs Editors group of free online programs includes Google Sheets. Google Docs, Google Slides, Google Drawings, Google Forms, Google Sites, and Google Keep are also included in this package.

How To Highlight A Whole Column In Google Sheets

Using Background colors:

 

Do you know that’ you can actually highlight text on Google sheets using the background colors? Yes, it’s very easy. Kindly follow the below steps to accomplish that;

  • Left-click the column header you want to highlight. 
  • Select the paint bucket tool or Fill Color. 
  • Select the color you want to highlight. 

There you have it. You highlighted a full column in Google Sheets in 3 simple steps. Make the Fill Color white to remove the highlight. 

But what if you want to highlight particular cells in that column? Continue reading to learn how to use conditional formatting to highlight a column. 

Using Conditional Formatting:

 

Another method of highlighting a whole column in google sheets is by using conditional formatting. You can do this with this following below steps;

  • Left-click the column header you want to highlight. 
  • Click on Format. 
  • Then click on Conditional Formatting. 
  • Set the parameters you want in the dropdown menu. 
  • Select your highlight color. 
  • Now, click the Done button. 

There you have it, then! There are 2 techniques in Google Sheets to highlight a whole column. The more appropriate technique to highlight particular cells in Excel is through Conditional Formatting, however you may quickly illustrate your point by altering the fill color. 

Check to see whether your conditional formatting settings aren’t unintentionally highlighting cells you don’t want them to if you observe that certain cells have strange colors. Additionally, keep in mind that any comments made on a document will also highlight the corresponding cell.

How To Use Google Sheets

 

Spreadsheets may be created and edited by users both online and on iOS or Android-powered mobile devices using the Google Sheets web application. A functioning email address is needed in order to use Google Sheets. Users of Google Sheets can do the following actions: 

  • Edit and format spreadsheets. Using Google Sheets, you may add, edit, format, and apply formulae and functions to spreadsheet elements. 
  • Analyze. Google Sheets allows you to see spreadsheet data as tables, charts, and graphs. 
  • Users may collaborate in real time by sharing Google Sheets documents and folders with others. 
  • Users may open and import Google Sheets files into various document formats, such as Microsoft Excel, Word, PowerPoint, Adobe PDF, and PNG, for printing and downloading (Portable Network Graphics).

FAQ’S

How do I highlight An Entire Row In Google Sheets?

 

The checkbox can address the problem you mention indirectly. 

  1. In the table, add column A. 
  2. Select cells in the rows you want to highlight with color in column A. 
  3. Select Checkbox from the Insert menu. 
  4. Select the whole row where the check box was added. 
  5. Select Conditional Formatting from the Format menu. 
  6. Add the Custom formula to this rule in the Formatting rules panel. 
  7. Enter the equation =$A1=TRUE (instead of 1, use the first line number you selected in step 4). 
  8. Formatting style must be specified. 
  9. After checking the box, the full row will be highlighted from now on.

How Do I Automatically Highlight Text In Google Sheets?

 

There are various options available in Google Sheets for automatically highlighting certain text. Here are your choices:

  • Text contains or does not contain
  • Text starts with or ends with
  • Text is exactly

How to Set Up Conditional Formatting for Text in Google Sheets

 

You can select the one that best fits your data. 

  • To use conditional formatting, pick the cells to be formatted, then go to the Format tab and select “Conditional Formatting.” 
  • Select the Conditional Formatting option. 
  • Use the Single Color tab at the top of the resulting sidebar. In the Apply to Range box, confirm the cell range or add another range if desired. 
  • Confirm the cells in the Apply To Range section. 
  • Select one of the above text selections from the Format Cells If drop-down box under Format Rules. Enter the text to be searched for in the next cell. 
  • In the Formatting Style section, configure the font or cell highlighting and then click “Done” to apply the conditional formatting rule.

Available Options to Automatically Highlight Certain Text on Google Sheets

 

Here are the available options to automatically highlight certain text in Google sheets. Read carefully;

1. Text Contains or Does Not Contain

Perhaps you imported data containing random characters such as percent signs. You want to highlight the cells so you may correct the information. You may use Text Contains as the rule in this case. 

To access the Conditional Formatting sidebar, select the cells and follow the procedures outlined above. In the Format Cells If drop-down box, select “Text Contains,” and then put the percent sign in the field below it. 

Choose the formatting you wish to apply, then click “Done,” and all the cells containing the character you want to fix should be highlighted.

Alternatively, you might go through a list of email addresses and flag those that lack the @ (at) sign so you can repair them. For this instance, the criterion would be Text Does Not Contain. 

Open the sidebar by selecting the cells. In the Format Cells section, choose “Text Does Not Contain.” If you use the drop-down box, insert the @ (at) sign in the box below it. 

When you finish formatting and click “Done,” the cells that are lacking the email address symbol should be highlighted.

2. Text Starts or Ends With

 

To search the content you need, you can use complete words, a combination of letters, or even a single letter. We have a list of automobiles here, and we wish to highlight all Honda and Hyundai models. You may utilize the Text Starts With option for this rule. 

To make the rule, select the cells and open the sidebar. In the Format Cells section, choose “Text Starts With.” If you use the drop-down box, put the letter H in the field underneath it. 

Select the cell or text format and click “Done” to highlight all Honda and Hyundai automobiles in the list.

Using the Text Ends With option, we’ll highlight all scientific classes that finish in “ology” as an example. 

To make the rule, select the cells and open the sidebar. In the Format Cells section, choose “Text Ends With.” If you use the drop-down box, type “ology” in the field underneath it. 

Select the cell or text format and click “Done” to highlight all of the scientific classes in the list.

3. Text Is Exactly

 

We have a page with student names and grades for our last example. We want to use conditional formatting such that a F grade is emphasized when a student earns one. The Text Is Exactly rule would be used in this case. 

Open the sidebar by selecting the cells. In the Format Cells section, choose “Text Is Exactly.” If you use the drop-down box, type the letter F in the field below it. 

To highlight all letter F grades, select the format and click “Done.” 

In Google Sheets, text is exactly conditional formatting rule. 

Conditional formatting gives you numerous choices for finding specific text in your Google Sheet when you wish to highlight it.

Summary

 

Wrapping up the content the here, I hope you have learnt how to highlight a whole column in google sheets? Cool, do you have further questions? Feel free to use the comment box below to drop your comment.