= Write My Formula

Conditional formatting formula generator

Get the formula for your conditional formatting rule.

Describe what should light up, paste the columns involved, and get a TRUE/FALSE formula with notes on the range it should apply to.

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Formula request

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Mode
Spreadsheet
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Purpose-built inputs

A focused workflow for everyday spreadsheet work.

Structured formula builder

Task, table context, target range, and function hint keep the request specific.

Write / Explain / Fix modes

Generate a new formula, translate a pasted one, or diagnose common syntax issues.

Excel and Sheets toggle

Compatibility notes call out modern functions and platform-specific behavior.

Formula-bar output

The result is formatted for scanning and placed next to a copy button.

Common formulas

Pick the formula you came for.

Percentage formulas

Build percent of total, percent change, discount, markup, tax, tip, and completion-rate formulas.

Date formulas

Create due dates, workday counts, month-end dates, date differences, and overdue checks.

FILTER formulas

Return matching rows for status, region, date, text, and threshold conditions.

Text formulas

Split, extract, join, trim, clean, and replace text from messy imported cells.

Data validation formulas

Block bad IDs, duplicate values, missing fields, and invalid entries with custom TRUE/FALSE rules.

XLOOKUP formulas

Return matching values with separate lookup and return ranges.

INDEX MATCH formulas

Build flexible lookup formulas for left lookups, two-way lookups, and older Excel files.

SUMIFS formulas

Total rows that match status, date, category, customer, or region rules.

Use case

Conditional formatting formula generator for spreadsheet work.

Build custom conditional formatting formulas that return TRUE for rows or cells that should be highlighted.

What this page gives you

  • A draft custom formula for the conditional formatting rule you describe.
  • A plain-English read of which cell anchors should move by row and which should stay locked.
  • Notes on TRUE/FALSE output, applied range, relative references, and cross-sheet behavior.

When to use it

Use this page when a built-in color scale or preset rule is not enough and the highlight depends on business logic, another column, or a date comparison. Include the applied range because conditional formatting references are evaluated from the first cell in that range.

Do not paste the rule into the worksheet grid as a normal formula. Conditional formatting formulas live inside the formatting rule, and a formula that works in one starting cell can shift incorrectly if the applied range starts somewhere else.

Worked example

For tasks in A2:C100, a conditional formatting rule can highlight the whole row when the due date in column B is before today and the status in column C is not Done.

=AND($B2<TODAY(),$C2<>"Done")

The formula locks columns B and C so each row checks its own due date and status, then returns TRUE for rows that should be highlighted.

Check before you paste

  • Conditional formatting formulas should return TRUE or FALSE.
  • Lock columns with dollar signs when the rule should follow each row.
  • Test the rule on the first row of the applied range before copying it across the sheet.

Upgrade when the work piles up

Keep going when the sheet gets complicated.

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Founding access

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