How to Copy Conditional Formatting in Google Sheets

The quickest way to copy conditional formatting in Google Sheets is the Paint format tool. Click a cell that has the formatting, click the paint roller icon in the toolbar, then select the cells you want to format. The conditional formatting rule, along with the cell’s other formatting, is applied to the new range. To copy only the formatting without changing the values, you can also copy the cell and use Edit > Paste special > Format only.

Below are all the ways to copy conditional formatting, including to another sheet or spreadsheet, and how to apply one rule to several ranges at once.

Method 1: Paint format

1. Click a cell that has the conditional formatting.
2. Click Paint format (the paint roller icon) on the toolbar.
3. Click or drag across the cells you want to format.

A single click applies the format once. Double-click Paint format to keep it on so you can format several ranges in a row, then press Esc or click the icon again to turn it off.

Method 2: Paste special, format only

1. Select the cell or range with the conditional formatting and press Ctrl + C (Command + C on a Mac).
2. Select the destination cells.
3. Click Edit > Paste special > Format only, or press Ctrl + Alt + V (Command + Option + V on a Mac).

This also works across sheets in the same spreadsheet and between different spreadsheets open in your browser.

Method 3: Add more ranges to the existing rule

This keeps one rule instead of creating copies, which is easier to manage.

1. Click Format > Conditional formatting.
2. Click the rule in the side panel.
3. In Apply to range, click the range icon and choose Add another range, or type ranges separated by commas, such as A2:A100, D2:D100.
4. Click Done.

Copy conditional formatting to another sheet

• Same spreadsheet: Use Paste special > Format only on the other sheet. Rules with custom formulas that point to other cells copy with relative references, so check them afterward.
• Another spreadsheet: Right-click the sheet tab, choose Copy to > Existing spreadsheet to copy the whole sheet with its rules, or use Paste special between the two spreadsheets.

Watch out for custom formulas

Rules based on Custom formula is adjust their references when copied, like normal formulas. For example, a rule =$C2>100 copied to another range still looks at column C because of the dollar sign, while =C2>100 shifts with the new location. After copying, open the conditional formatting panel and check the formula and range for each rule.

Which method should you use?

If the formatting doesn’t copy

• Nothing happens: Make sure you started with a cell that’s inside the rule’s range.
• Wrong cells are highlighted: Check custom formulas for relative references and add dollar signs where needed.
• Duplicate rules: Repeated copying creates many rules. Merge them by editing one rule’s range and deleting the rest.

Related: remove conditional formatting in Google Sheets.

Related: highlight every other row in Google Sheets.

Related: Highlight in Google Sheets.

Frequently asked questions

Does Paint format copy the cell’s value?

No. It copies only formatting, including conditional formatting, number formats, colors and borders.

Can I copy conditional formatting on the Google Sheets app?

The app supports copying and pasting cells, but Paint format and Paste special are easier on a computer.

How many conditional formatting rules can a sheet have?

Google Sheets doesn’t publish a strict limit, but many rules slow down large sheets. Combining ranges into fewer rules helps.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews runs Live2Tech from just outside Philadelphia. He is an IT specialist with over 20 years of experience, from a university help desk to small-business IT, IT management and his own consulting practice, and has written tech guides full time since 2020. Steps are checked against the current software on a real device or the maker’s official documentation. More about Kermit.