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How to highlight blank cells in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Conditional formattingExcel & Google Sheets
=ISBLANK(A2)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Name | Score |
| Alice | 88 |
| 72 | |
| Carlos | |
| Diana | 95 |
=ISBLANK(A2)→FALSE
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Step by step
- 1Select the range you want to check for blanks, e.g. A2:D100.
- 2Open Conditional Formatting (Home tab → Conditional Formatting → New Rule in Excel; Format → Conditional formatting in Sheets).
- 3Choose 'Use a formula to determine which cells to format' (Excel) or 'Custom formula is' (Sheets) and enter =ISBLANK(A2), then pick a fill color and confirm.
Tips
- Lock the column but not the row (e.g. =$A2) when highlighting entire rows based on a blank in a specific column.
Need it for your exact data?
Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
Why does ISBLANK miss cells that look empty?
A cell containing a space character or an empty string from a formula (="") is not truly blank, so ISBLANK returns FALSE. Use =LEN(TRIM(A2))=0 to catch those cases too.
More on Conditional formatting
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How to highlight duplicate values
Highlight duplicate cells automatically with Conditional Formatting using a COUNTIF rule — no formulas to copy manually.
How-toHow to highlight cells greater than a value
Use Conditional Formatting with a simple greater-than rule to automatically color cells that exceed a threshold value.
How-toHow to highlight the highest value in a range
Color the maximum value in a range automatically using a Conditional Formatting rule based on the MAX function.
How-toHow to highlight the lowest value in a range
Color the minimum value in a range using a Conditional Formatting rule built on the MIN function.
How-toHow to highlight cells that contain specific text
Use conditional formatting with SEARCH or ISNUMBER(SEARCH()) to highlight any cell containing a specific word or phrase automatically.
How-toHow to shade every other row
Use conditional formatting with MOD and ROW to automatically apply alternating row colors for a banded, readable table layout.