Excel: Conditional Formatting Based on Even and Odd Values

Excel is an incredibly powerful tool that can be used in a variety of ways. One of the most powerful functions of Excel is its ability to use conditional formatting to highlight certain data. In particular, Excel allows users to apply conditional formatting based on even and odd values. This feature can be incredibly useful in helping to quickly identify and analyze patterns in data. It can also help to ensure accuracy and consistency when working with large amounts of data. This article will explain how to use conditional formatting based on even and odd values in Excel. It will discuss the various options available, when it might be useful, and how to apply it to a range of data.


To apply conditional formatting to cells in Excel based on even and odd values, you can use the New Rule option under the Conditional Formatting dropdown menu within the Home tab.

The following examples show how to use this option in two different scenarios:

Scenario 1: Apply Conditional Formatting Based on Even and Odd Values in Cells

Scenario 2: Apply Conditional Formatting Based on Even and Odd Row Numbers

Let’s jump in!

Example 1: Apply Conditional Formatting Based on Even and Odd Values in Cells

Suppose we have the following dataset in Excel that contains information about various basketball players:

Suppose we would like to highlight all cells in the Points and Assists columns that have an even number in them.

To do so, we can highlight the cell range B2:C11, then click the Conditional Formatting dropdown menu on the Home tab and then click New Rule:

In the new window that appears, click Use a formula to determine which cells to format, then type =ISEVEN(B2) in the box, then click the Format button and choose a fill color to use.

Excel conditional formatting based on even and odd numbers

Once we press OK, all of the cells in the range B2:C11 that contain an even number will be highlighted:

We can see that each cell in the Points and Assists columns that have an even number in them are highlighted with a light green background.

Example 2: Apply Conditional Formatting Based on Even and Odd Row Numbers

Once again suppose we have the following dataset in Excel that contains information about various basketball players:

Suppose we would like to highlight all rows in the dataset with an even number.

To do so, we can highlight the cell range A1:C11, then click the Conditional Formatting dropdown menu on the Home tab and then click New Rule:

In the new window that appears, click Use a formula to determine which cells to format, then type  =EVEN(ROW())=ROW() in the box, then click the Format button and choose a fill color to use.

Once we press OK, all of the even-numbered rows in the range A1:C11 will be highlighted:

Excel conditional formatting based on even and odd row numbers

Note: We chose to use a light green fill for the conditional formatting in this example, but you can choose any color and style you’d like for the conditional formatting.

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