Conditional Formatting in Pivot Table

The respective Pivot table in Microsoft Excel is mainly considered to be one of the powerful features in the spreadsheet applications such as: Microsoft Excel and Google Sheets that in turns allows us to quickly organize, summarize, and also to effectively analyze huge sets of the data. They allow us to easily condense and also to filter out the data into a more manageable as well as in the insightful format, thus helping us to identify the trends, patterns, as well as the outliers in our respective data effectively.

More often the respective "conditional formatting in the pivot tables is a tool that primarily enhances our ability to understand our data by just visually highlighting out the key data points." With the conditional formatting, we can now easily apply the different colors, icons, or the styles to the cells, which are based upon the certain criteria. And for instance, we might be making use of the conditional formatting for the purpose of highlighting the sales figures above the certain threshold in green or in the flag low numbers in red. This visual differentiation helps us to focus on the important areas of our data effectively and can quickly draw our attention to the various significant values. And by just combining out the organizational power of the pivot tables with the visual impact of the conditional formatting, we can now create clear, informative data views that usually facilitate the better analysis as well as the decision-making. Conditional formatting helps us to easily emphasize the most important data in our respective pivot tables, allowing us to spot the opportunities or the problems at a glance.

What is meant by the term Pivot Table in Microsoft Excel?

In Microsoft Excel, "a pivot table is a powerful data summarization tool that can be efficiently used for the process of analyzing huge datasets quickly. Despite this, it will also enable the users to easily extract out the valuable insights from the available raw data by just organizing and summarizing it into a more manageable format." With the help of the pivot tables, the respective users can now easily explore the various available trends, patterns, and also the relationships that must lie within their data without the need for the complex formulas.

Moreover, at its core, the respective pivot table in Microsoft Excel allows every user to easily rearrange data effectively and also to manipulate the data dynamically. Users can easily define rows, columns, as well as the values for the purpose of structuring their analysis according to their needs and with the criteria.

• For example, one can easily categorize the sales data by the product name, region, and with the period in order to effectively identify the top-performing products or regions. Pivot tables also support various calculations, which are none other than sum, count, average, min, and max, thus allowing users to derive key metrics and perform comparative analysis effortlessly.

And despite all this, one of the key advantages that have been associated with the pivot tables is none other than their flexibility. With this advantage, the respective users can easily modify the layout and the structure of the pivot table in order to meet their analysis needs, as they can easily drag and drop out the fields from the dataset into the different areas of the pivot table, which are none other than rows, columns, values, and filters, for the purpose of creating custom reports as well as the summaries.

What is meant by Conditional Formatting in the Pivot Table?

It was well known that the respective "conditional formatting in pivot tables is a feature that mainly allows us to easily apply the visual styles, which are none other than the color coding, data bars, and also icons, to the respective cells, which are effectively based upon the specified conditions as well." This particular functionality enhances the data visualization by just highlighting the data points that usually meet certain criteria, making it easier to identify the trends, patterns, or outliers in our selected data.

List out the key takeaways regarding the use of Conditional formatting in the Pivot table.

The various Key takeaways regarding the use of Conditional formatting in the Pivot table are as follows:

1. Conditional Formatting: This feature mainly helps us effectively apply specific styles, such as colors, icons, or fonts, to the selected data in a pivot table based on the rules we set.
   
   • For example, we can easily highlight the high or low values by identifying the trends or flagging the specific keywords. This visual distinction makes it easier to identify patterns and important information quickly.
2. Pivot Tables: A pivot table is a summary of the particular dataset or cell range that we can easily customize for organizing, filtering, and displaying the data in different ways. Pivot tables are highly versatile and can easily analyze large data sets efficiently by providing automatic grouping and sorting options.
3. Refreshing of the Pivot Tables: When we are easily modifying of the data that are mainly used in the pivot table, we must need to remember to refresh out the selected table as well. And this will be now ensuring that the conditional formatting and the data display remain up-to-date and accurate. If in case the pivot table is not refreshed, then the respective conditional formatting may not be applied correctly, as it is set to work with the fixed amount of the dataset.
4. Pivot Table Slicers: It was well known that the, the respective slicers are the visual filters which are linked to the pivot table. As they can offer an easy way to filter out the data in our pivot table. And the slicers may appear as the buttons on our spreadsheet, and thus allowing us to easily adjust the view of our data quickly, efficiently.

And all together, the respective conditional formatting as well as the pivot tables mainly provides a powerful approach to the effective analysis of the data and its presentation, and enabling us to gain meaningful insights and also to make data-driven decisions in an effective manner.

Advantages of using Conditional formatting in Pivot Table

We all knew that the conditional formatting in the pivot tables is termed to be the powerful feature that is responsible for the purpose of enhancing out the visualization of the data and its interpretation. It mainly allows us to easily apply the specific styles to the respective cells that are more often based upon the data they contain, and making patterns as well as the trends in the data that more visible and accessible to the particular user. So let us now see some of the key advantages that are associated with the use of the conditional formatting in pivot tables:

1. Enhancing the Visualization of the Data: Conditional formatting makes it easier to spot trends, outliers, as well as the patterns in the selected data more quickly. And by just applying out the colors, icons, or the data bars to the cells, we can visually highlight out the important aspects of our data.
   
   • For example, we can efficiently make use of the color scale for the purpose of representing out the sales figures, with the "darker shades" indicating the higher sales and the "lighter shades" indicating the lower sales.
2. Improved Decision Making: Moreover by just emphasizing out the specific data points or the ranges, the respective conditional formatting will helps decision-makers to focus on key areas of the interest effectively. And this will leads to the more informed as well as efficient decision-making, and. And for instance, we can easily highlight out the various regions with the below-average performance in the red color, and drawing attention to the areas that may require additional support as well as the investigation effectively.
3. Customization of the Flexibility: The conditional formatting in the Pivot table is highly customizable, and it mainly allows us to easily choose the different rules, styles, as well as the formats to suit our specific needs in an efficient manner. We can now set up the different rules that are more often based upon the numerical values, text, or even formulas as well.
4. Quick Analysis of the Data: Conditional formatting in the pivot tables provides a quick visual summary of the huge set of the data, and thus making it easier for the purpose of analyzing out the data without the need for the complex calculations or with the additional charts effectively.
5. Effective Detection of the Error: It was well known that the respective conditional formatting in the Pivot table can now help them to easily identify out the data entry errors as well as the anomalies in our selected data.
   
   • For example, we can now set up a rule for the purpose of highlighting out the cells that might contain unexpected values or are outside of the specified range as well. And this can improve the accuracy of the data and will help us maintain its integrity as well.
6. Effective and Clear Communication: By making use of the conditional formatting in pivot table, we can now present out the data in a more engaging and easily understandable way. As this will helps us to easily communicate with the insights as well as the findings effectively to others, whether in meetings, reports, or the presentations.
7. Efficiency: Once set up, the particular conditional formatting rules will be automatically applied to the pivot table, thus saving time and effort in manually highlighting the various important data points. This automation will often effectively streamline the data analysis processes and ensure consistency of formatting across reports.
8. Interactivity: It is well known that the respective conditional formatting can be easily combined with the pivot table filters as well as the slicers for dynamic and interactive analysis of the data. This allows us to explore the different aspects of our data quickly and efficiently.

However, the respective conditional formatting in the pivot tables primarily provides a visual representation of the data that usually enhances understanding, facilitates quick analysis, and can improve communication. It also allows us to quickly identify the key trends and outliers, as well as patterns, helping us to make better-informed decisions and effectively communicate the findings to others.

What are the easy steps that can be used to apply conditional formatting in the Pivot Table?

So, the necessary steps that can be efficiently used for the purpose of applying the Conditional Formatting in the pivot table are as follows:

Step 1: First, we must need to select the data. Then, in the "Insert" Tab, we will click on the "PivotTable," which is available on the ribbon option.

Step 2: As a result, the respective "Create PivotTable" dialog box appears on the screen, as clearly depicted in the images below.

Step 3: In this step, we are required to insert the pivot table into a new worksheet by clicking on the "OK" button. Currently, the pivot table is blank. Next, we are about to insert the values.

Step 4: In this step, we are about to drag down the "Date" column in the "Rows" Label, "Name" in the "Column," and "Sales" in "Values," respectively.

After applying the above-mentioned step, we will encounter the outcomes as clearly depicted in the below-mentioned images.

Step 5: So for the purpose of applying the Conditional Formatting in the pivot table, firstly, we are required to select the column to the format. Here, in this example, we need to select "Grand Total Column". Then, in the "Home" Tab in the "Styles" section, we are about to click on the "Conditional Formatting" option drop-down to open the available options, then need to click on the "New Rule" option, as it was clearly depicted in the below-mentioned image respectively.

Step 6: As a result, the "New Formatting Rule" dialog box will pop up respectively.

Step 7: Here, we can see that there are a variety of rules available that need to be applied in the pivot table. For example, we will select "Format only cells that contain," and we can see another dialog box in the same window.

Step 8: In this particular step, we must insert any value in the "Cell Value" section. In this case, we have mentioned a range from 50000 to 10000, respectively.

Step 9: In this step, we must click on the "Format" option, which is present at the bottom of the selected Excel sheet.

Step 10: In this step, we must select the type of formatting we want. For example, we have chosen a color (green) from the "Fill" section.

Step 11: After that, we just need to click on the "OK" option, and once again, we are about to click on the "OK" button to close the "Formatting Rule" dialog box.

By applying the entire above-mentioned step, we will encounter a table formatted in rows with values ranging from 50000 to 100000, as was clearly depicted above.

Examples

The following illustrations will help us understand the practical ways to use the Conditional Formatting feature in the pivot tables.

# Example 1:

We shall now see an example of the multiple conditional formatting in the pivot table. Here, we have considered the data in the form of a table depicting the lists of the currency symbols as well as their current prices and price changes in the US stock market, respectively.

The requirement is to summarize the above data in the pivot table. Next, conditionally format column D values to visually analyze the percentage changes, using the icons in the pivot table. Then, we need to highlight the prices of the top three currency symbols in column B in the pivot table.

The above steps that can be used to achieve the example mentioned above are as follows:

Step 1: First, we must need to choose the whole dataset. Then, we must select Insert-PivotTable to effectively open the Create PivotTable window.

Despite all this, we are also required to update the targeted cell reference in the particular selected Location field, where we require our pivot table to be.

After proceeding with the above-mentioned step, we are about to click on the OK button to view the space for creating the pivot table in the worksheet and the PivotTable Fields pane, as clearly depicted below in the image.

Step 2: In this step, we must drag the fields to the required areas in the PivotTable Fields pane in order to achieve the required pivot table effectively.

Then we are about to update the column names that suit our requirements respectively.

Step 3: In this particular step, we are required to select the cell range from cell D15 to cell D22 and then choose Home-Conditional Formatting-New Rule to open the New Formatting Rule window.

Then need to set the following settings in the New Formatting Rule window respectively.

The very first section depicts the cell range that is chosen, and we must need to select the last option under it. Just after this, we are about to choose the first rule by typing it in the second section. More often, in the third section, we need to set Format Style as Icon Sets in the Excel window and then choose the required Icon Style by using the corresponding drop-down buttons.

Then, we need to update the fields available just under Value and Type to apply the rules to show the icons for the values in the specified corresponding ranges as well. Finally, we are required to click on the OK button in the New Formatting Rule window to view the output below.

Step 4: In this step, we are required to choose the cell ranges that effectively range from cell B15 to cell B22. Just after that, we will be selecting Home-Conditional Formatting-New Rule to access the New Formatting Rule window effectively.

And then we will be setting the following settings in the New Formatting Rule window as well.

The first section usually depicts the chosen cell range, and we need to choose the last option under it. Next, we need to choose the third rule type in the second section as well. More often, in the third section, we need to set the required rule to display the top three values in the chosen cell range as well. Then, we need to click on Format, which will open the Format Cells window.

Step 5: In this particular step, we will select the Fill tab to choose the required cell background color to highlight the required cells.

And then, we need to click on the OK option to proceed further with the outcome.

Finally, we need to click on the OK option in the New Formatting Rule window to achieve the pivot table below with the multiple conditional formatting.

# Example 2: Use of the conditional formatting in the Pivot table by making use of the formula

Let us now see an example of the conditional formatting in the pivot table using the formula. For this example, we have considered the table with the list of the students mentioned below. It also covers their project points and overall scores in the different subjects.

And the requirement is just to summarize the above data in the pivot table. Then, we need to highlight the students' names in the respective pivot tables, whoever has scored below 15 points in their Mathematics project and an overall Mathematics subject score of below 50 points, respectively. Then, the conditional formatting using a formula in the required cell range can fetch the required output effectively.

Step 1: First of all, we are required to choose a cell in the source dataset, and after that, we need to select the Insert - PivotTable for the purpose of opening the Create PivotTable window effectively.

After proceeding with the above step, we are about to update the target cell reference in the Location field as well, where we actually want to create the pivot table efficiently.

Then, we need to click on the OK option to view the location for creating the pivot table in the selected sheet and the PivotTable Fields pane.

Step 2: In this particular step, we must drag the fields to the respective required areas, which are available in the PivotTable Fields window, to achieve the required pivot table efficiently.

After this, we will update the column and field names in the selected pivot table according to our requirements.

Step 3: In this step, we will select the subject Mathematics and then apply a Filter to it in the selected pivot table.

Step 4: In this step, we are required to select the cell range from cell A29 to A33. After selecting the range, we will choose Home-Conditional Formatting-New Rule to open the New Formatting Rule window.

And then after that, we will be making a selection of the last rule type in order to enter the following conditional formatting rule for the purpose of highlighting the required cells effectively:

After highlighting the required cell range, we will be clicking on the Format option to open the Format Cells window as well.

Step 5: In this step, we will be selecting the Fill tab. Then, we are required to choose the required cell background color from the available options.

After selecting the background color, we need to click on the OK option to proceed to the desired outcome.

Lastly, we are required to click on the OK option in the New Formatting Rule window to get the desired output as it was mentioned below.

It was well known that the respective Excel AND function usually checks two conditions. Here in this, the very first condition primarily checks each of the cells in the column range ranging from cell B29 to B33, whether the Mathematics project points are below 15. In contrast, the respective second condition usually checks each of the cells in the column range that is more often ranging from cell C29 to cell C33, whether the overall score in Mathematics is below 45, respectively.

As both conditions hold in rows 31 and 32, the corresponding students' names in column A will also be highlighted in the specified format.

Rules for the use of Conditional Formatting in Pivot Table

The image below primarily depicts the conditional formatting rules for the respective pivot table in the New Formatting Rule window. We can then easily access the window by following the path Home-Conditional Formatting-New Rule.

Despite all this, the respective Microsoft Excel usually offers six specific conditional formatting rules for the pivot tables. And by making use of these particular rules, one can easily format out the cells which are more often based upon the values and those which contain specific data as well. We can also format the top or the bottom ranking values and numbers above or below the average and can also format unique or duplicate data effectively. Moreover, we can also use the various customized formatting conditions or formulas that are based on some specific criteria to format the cells.

Points to remember about the use of Conditional Formatting in Pivot Table

It was well known that the respective conditional formatting in Pivot table can be a powerful tool in the pivot table that can be efficiently used for the purpose of highlighting the important data trends as well as the patterns. Here are some of the key points to remember while making use of the conditional formatting in a pivot table:

1. Choosing of the Appropriate Formatting Rule:
   
   • When we are setting up the conditional formatting in the respective pivot table, we are required to move to the "New Formatting Rule" window.
   • And in the first section, we are about to select out the third option. As this option is very much important it is because of the reason that, it will ensures that the conditional formatting rules will be effectively applied to any of the new data that is added to our respective pivot table in the future as well.
2. Effective selection of the Correct Rule Type:
   
   • In the "New Formatting Rule" window, we have been encountered with the various rule types to choose from.
   • Then, after that we are required to choose the rule type that usually best matches the kind of the formatting we actually want to apply.
3. Effective refreshing of the Pivot Table in an Excel sheet:
   
   • If in case we can now make changes to the respective source data, after that we are required to refresh out the pivot table for the purpose of updating the data it mainly displays out.
   • To refresh the pivot table, we must need to right-click on it and then need to select out the "Refresh" from the context menu.
4. Watching for the recent Updates:
   
   • Always be mindful of how the changes to our data source affect our respective pivot table and also the conditional formatting effectively.
5. Testing and tweaking of the data:
   
   • After setting up the conditional formatting, we can easily test it by just changing out some of the data in our selected source respectively.
   • Ensure the formatting rules we will be setting up will still work correctly with the new data, and then adjust the rules if in case it was necessary.
6. Consistency:
   
   • We are required to maintain the consistency in our conditional formatting across the different pivot tables, specifically if we are working on a report or the dashboard as well.

By keeping all these key points in mind, we can effectively make use of the conditional formatting in our respective pivot table to gain insights from our data and make it easier to read and interpret.

Frequently Asked Questions \FAQs.

The various frequently asked questions about the use of the Conditional Formatting in Pivot Table are as follows:

Question 1. What is conditional formatting in the pivot tables, and why is it important?

Answer: The particular conditional formatting in the pivot tables is the termed to be the feature that will allows us to easily apply out the visual enhancements, like as color scales, data bars, as well as the icons, to the cells that are usually based upon the specific conditions, and effective particular feature will helps us to easily highlight out the different important data, identification of the trends, and draw attention to the outliers thus making it easier to interpret the complex sets of the data.

Question 2. How one can easily apply the conditional formatting in the pivot table?

Answer: For the purpose of applying the conditional formatting in Pivot table, start by just selecting the range of the cells that we actually want to format within the respective pivot table. After that need to navigate to the "Conditional Formatting" menu, which is made available in the "Home" tab of our respective spreadsheet software, from there we will be choosing the type of the formatting we want to apply, such as color scales or the icon sets, and also need to specify the conditions under which the formatting should be applied effectively.

Question 3. State different types of the conditions set for the conditional formatting in Pivot Table?

Answer: The various conditions that can be set for the conditional formatting in Pivot table are as follows:

• Cell value: The conditions are based upon whether the cell values are greater than, less than, or equal to the specific values.
• Text criteria: These conditions are mainly based upon whether the respective cells contain specific text or begin with or end with the certain characters.
• Date conditions: Conditions based upon date values, like as todays date, this week's date, or this month's date.
• Top or the bottom rules: Conditions based on the top or bottom percentage or the number of items in a given range.
• Formulas: Custom formulas for the creation of the more complex conditions based upon the data effectively.

Question 4. Mentioned different types of formatting options available in the Microsoft Excel?

Answer: The different types of the formatting options which are made available in the Microsoft Excel:

• Color scales: It involves gradations of the colors that usually represent out the range of the values in our respective data, and thus allowing us to easily visualize out the trends.
• Data bars: Horizontal bars within the cells that vary in the length based upon the cell value and also to provide a quick visual representation of the magnitude of the data.
• Icon sets: The set of the icons are mainly applied to the cells that are based upon the thresholds value, that will us to easily identify out the different categories as well as the ranges in an effective manner.

Question 5. Is conditional formatting is applied to the specific fields in a pivot table?

Answer: Yes, we can apply the conditional formatting to the specific fields in a respective pivot table. And for the purpose of achieving this we need to select out the cells as well as the range of the cells within the field that we want to format and then need to apply the desired conditional formatting rules by just making use of the "Conditional Formatting" menu.

Question 6. How we can make use of the conditional formatting to highlight top or bottom performers in a pivot table?

Answer: Now for the purpose of highlighting the top or the bottom performers, we can make use of the "Top/Bottom Rules" options available under the "Conditional Formatting" menu, as this will allows us to easily specify out the conditions like as the top or bottom 10%.

Question 7. Is conditional formatting based upon the formulas in a pivot table?

Answer: Yes, the particular conditional formatting is mainly based upon the custom formulas in a pivot table, and it will allows us to easily create more complex conditions for the purpose of formatting.

Question 8. How does conditional formatting affect the overall appearance of a pivot table in Microsoft Excel?

Answer: We all knew that the particular conditional formatting in the Pivot table enhances the visual representation of our respective pivot table data by just adding the colors, icons, and other visual elements to cells based on specific conditions. And this will makes it easier to identify the patterns, trends, as well as the outliers in our data, improving the overall readability and the interpretability of the pivot table.

Question 9. List out the best practice for making use of the conditional formatting in pivot tables?

Answer: Best practices that are used for the purpose of using the conditional formatting in the pivot tables are as follows:

Question 10. How to edit and remove conditional formatting rules in a pivot table?

Answer: To edit and remove the conditional formatting rules we need to select the range of the cells with the formatting that we actually want to change. After that we must need to go to the "Conditional Formatting" menu then we will be choosing the option to manage the rules.

All the above questions and the answers usually provide a comprehensive overview of how the conditional formatting works in pivot tables and how we can effectively make use of it to easily enhance out the visualization of the data and its interpretation.

Conclusion

It was well concluded that the "conditional formatting in the pivot tables" is a game-changer for the effective analysis of the data and for its effective reporting. It mainly elevates out the decision-making by just highlighting out the various trends anomalies, and also the various critical insights with the color as well as with the style. This feature will not only makes reports visually engaging despite of this it will also saves the valuable time through the efficient analysis of the data. However, the Conditional formatting is responsible for transforming the raw numbers into the compelling narrative by making use of the colors as the language. It primarily guides the audience's focus, drawing attention to the various important aspects of the data at a glance.

Despite of all this, one of its greatest strengths is none other than its ability to customize. From simple color scales to the complex rule-based formatting and users can tailor the display to their specific needs. This flexibility ensures that the most relevant information stands out prominently. Moreover, the conditional formatting strikes a balance that usually lies between the simplicity and its sophistication. In essence to all this the conditional formatting in the pivot tables is not just about the visual appeal; but it is about enhancing out the understanding and then facilitating the informed decisions. It transforms data into a story, thus making it accessible and impactful for a wide range of the audiences.