To highlight cells in Google Sheets, select them, click the Fill color button (the paint bucket) in the toolbar, and pick a color. To make the text itself stand out, use the Text color button (the underlined A) instead. Google Sheets doesn’t have a yellow highlighter pen like Docs, so fill color is the usual way to “highlight.” To highlight cells automatically based on their values, use Format > Conditional formatting.
Below are the steps for each kind of highlighting, including part of a cell’s text, whole rows, and duplicates.
Highlight cells with a fill color
- Select the cells, rows, or columns you want to highlight. Hold Ctrl (or Command on a Mac) to select cells that aren’t next to each other.
- Click the Fill color paint bucket in the toolbar.
- Choose a color, or click the plus sign under Custom to enter a hex code.
To remove the highlight, select the cells, click Fill color, and choose Reset.
Highlight the text instead of the cell
- Select the cells.
- Click the Text color button (the letter A with a colored bar).
- Pick a color. Combine it with Bold (Ctrl + B) for extra emphasis.
Highlight part of the text in a cell
- Double-click the cell (or press F2) to edit it.
- Select just the words you want.
- Click Text color, Bold, or Italic.
You can’t apply a background fill to only part of a cell; fill always covers the whole cell.
Highlight an entire row or column
- Click the row number on the left or the column letter at the top.
- Click Fill color and choose a color.
For striped rows that are easier to read, select the range and use Format > Alternating colors.
Highlight cells automatically with conditional formatting
- Select the range.
- Click Format > Conditional formatting.
- Under Format cells if, choose a rule, such as Greater than, Text contains, or Date is before, and enter the value.
- Under Formatting style, pick a fill color, and click Done.
The highlight updates by itself as values change, which makes it ideal for overdue dates, low stock, or scores below a target.
Highlight whole rows based on one cell
- Select the full data range, for example
A2:F100. - In conditional formatting, choose Custom formula is.
- Enter a formula with a dollar sign before the column letter, such as
=$D2="Done". - Choose a fill color and click Done.
Highlight duplicates
Select the column (for example A2:A100), choose Custom formula is, and enter =COUNTIF($A$2:$A$100,A2)>1. Every value that appears more than once is highlighted.
Use a color scale
To shade a whole range from low to high values, for example sales figures or test scores, open Conditional formatting, switch to the Color scale tab, and pick a preset such as green to white or red to green. You can set the minimum, midpoint, and maximum to specific numbers or percentiles. Color scales make it easy to spot the highest and lowest values at a glance without writing any rules.
Copy highlighting rules to another range
Select a cell with the conditional formatting, click Paint format, and then select the new range. The rule is copied along with the colors, and you can fine-tune it afterward in the Conditional formatting panel.
Which method should you use?
| Goal | Method |
|---|---|
| Mark a few cells by hand | Fill color |
| Make text stand out | Text color and bold |
| Emphasize a word inside a cell | Edit the cell and color the selected text |
| Highlight based on values | Conditional formatting |
| Striped table | Alternating colors |
Highlight on Android and iPhone
- Open the sheet in the Google Sheets app and select the cells.
- Tap the Format icon (the A with lines).
- On the Cell tab, tap Cell fill color; on the Text tab, tap Text color.
Conditional formatting is also available in the app under the three-dot menu.
Tips for using highlight colors
- Use light fill colors so text stays readable, especially when printed.
- Keep a small legend at the top of the sheet explaining what each color means.
- Don’t rely on color alone for important information; add a status column too, since colors can be hard to tell apart for some readers.
- Use Paint format (the paint roller) to copy a highlight to other cells.
Related: How to change cell color in Google Sheets.
Related: How to highlight duplicates in Google Sheets.
Related: Make a button in Google Sheets.
Related: Center across a selection in Google Sheets.
Frequently asked questions
Is there a highlighter tool in Google Sheets?
No dedicated highlighter. Use Fill color for cells or Text color for text.
Can I filter or sort by highlight color?
Yes. Turn on a filter (Data > Create a filter), click the filter icon, and choose Filter by color or Sort by color.
How do I remove all highlighting at once?
Select everything with Ctrl + A and press Ctrl + \ to clear formatting. Remove conditional formatting rules separately in the Conditional formatting panel.
Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.
He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.