Coloring Cells Automatically with Rules

Why This Feature Matters

When you look at a table with hundreds of rows, your eyes cannot quickly spot which products are almost out of stock or which invoices are past due. Conditional Formatting automatically paints cells with background colors (like soft red, yellow, or green) whenever they meet a rule you create.

Instead of manually highlighting cells with the paint bucket every week, conditional formatting evaluates your data automatically. If stock levels drop below a safe number, the cell turns red instantly!

How Conditional Rules Work

Every conditional formatting rule is based on a simple comparison test:

Step-by-Step Practice Guide

Follow these steps to evaluate warehouse replenishment and capacity status:

Practice 1 — Calculate Stock Deficit Gap

In cell E2, subtract Current Stock (B2) from Min Threshold (C2) to see how many units you are short.

=C2-B2

Practice 2 — Set Reorder Trigger Flag

In cell F2, assign "REORDER" if stock is less than or equal to threshold; otherwise assign "OK".

=IF(B2<=C2, "REORDER", "OK")

Practice 3 — Calculate Warehouse Occupancy Rate

In cell G2, divide Current Stock (B2) by Max Capacity (D2).

=B2/D2

Practice 4 — Flag Critical Capacity Utilization

In cell H2, assign "CRITICAL" if occupancy rate is 90% (0.9) or higher; otherwise assign "NORMAL".

=IF(B2/D2>=0.9, "CRITICAL", "NORMAL")

Use soft pastel colors (like light red or light green) rather than harsh bright neon colors. Soft fills keep your spreadsheets easy to read during long working hours.