Google Sheets Conditional Formatting for Status Trackers
Make a Google Sheets tracker highlight statuses, deadlines and blanks with custom formula rules, explained for beginners with paste-ready formulas.
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Set up conditional formatting for my Google Sheets tracker using custom formulas. The sheet is called [SHEET_NAME] and the data runs from [DATA_RANGE]. Columns: [COLUMN_HEADERS]. Status values I use: [STATUS_VALUES]. Deadline column: [DEADLINE_COLUMN]. I want these colours to mean: [COLOUR_MEANINGS]. Give me a numbered list of rules in the order I should add them. For each rule write: what it does, the "Apply to range", the "Custom formula is" text to paste, a colour suggestion that works for people with colour blindness, and a note on what happens when I add new rows. Include rules for: status colour per value; row highlight when the deadline is past; a warning for a missing owner; a strike-through for completed rows; and a rule that greys out rows older than 90 days. Follow with a short explanation of absolute versus relative references in conditional formatting, using two of my own formulas as examples, and a table titled "Why isn't my rule working?" with columns Symptom, Cause, Fix. Mark any menu name or option [VERIFY], since Google changes the interface. Do not use Apps Script. Stay within the columns I named; if you need another column, say so rather than assuming it exists. Keep the language friendly and the whole answer practical.
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