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Google Sheets’ conditional formatting feature allows users to automatically highlight cells based on certain criteria. In this case, you can use it to highlight cells if the date is before today. This means that any cell with a date that has already passed will be visually distinguished from the rest. This can be useful for managing tasks, schedules, or tracking deadlines. The conditional formatting feature offers a simple and efficient way to organize and prioritize your data, making it easier to stay on top of important dates and events. By setting up the appropriate rules and formatting options, you can customize the highlighting to suit your specific needs. This feature is available to all users of Google Sheets and can be accessed through the “Format” menu.
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting If Date is Before Today
You can use the Conditional formatting option within the Format tab in Google Sheets to apply conditional formatting to cells if their date value is before today.
The following step-by-step example shows how to do so in practice.
Step 1: Enter the Data
First, let’s enter the following dataset that shows the sales made at some retail store during various days:
Step 2: Apply Conditional Formatting to Cells if Date is Before Today
Next, highlight the cell range A2:A11, then click the Format tab, then click Conditional formatting:
In the Conditional format rules panel that appears on the right side of the screen, click the dropdown menu under Format rules and choose Date is before, then choose today:
Assuming that today is 10/3/2022, all cells that are before this date will be highlighted:
Note that you can apply whatever conditional formatting rules you’d like to the cells that have a date before today.
For example, you might choose to make their font bold and their background light blue:
The formatting of the cells will automatically be changed:
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Google Sheets:
Cite this article
stats writer (2024). How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Retrieved from https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-google-sheets-conditional-formatting-to-highlight-cells-if-the-date-is-before-today/
stats writer. "How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 26 Jun. 2024, https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-google-sheets-conditional-formatting-to-highlight-cells-if-the-date-is-before-today/.
stats writer. "How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?." PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, 2024. https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-google-sheets-conditional-formatting-to-highlight-cells-if-the-date-is-before-today/.
stats writer (2024) 'How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?', PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. Available at: https://scales.arabpsychology.com/stats/how-can-i-use-google-sheets-conditional-formatting-to-highlight-cells-if-the-date-is-before-today/.
[1] stats writer, "How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?," PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES, vol. X, no. Y, ص Z-Z, June, 2024.
stats writer. How can I use Google Sheets’ conditional formatting to highlight cells if the date is before today?. PSYCHOLOGICAL SCALES. 2024;vol(issue):pages.