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How to highlight the minimum value in a column in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Conditional formattingExcel & Google Sheets
=A2=MIN($A$2:$A$5)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
| Sales | Region |
| 200 | North |
| 150 | South |
| 250 | East |
| 150 | West |
=A2=MIN($A$2:$A$5)→FALSE
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Step by step
- 1Select the range of cells in the column you want to format (e.g., A2:A5).
- 2Go to the Home tab, click on Conditional Formatting, and choose New Rule.
- 3In Excel, select 'Use a formula to determine which cells to format'. In Google Sheets, choose 'Custom formula is'.
- 4Enter the formula provided for your respective application.
- 5Set your desired formatting style and click OK.
Tips
- Ensure your formula uses absolute cell references (e.g., $A$2:$A$5) to apply correctly across the selected range.
- If your data includes headers, adjust the range to exclude them from the MIN calculation.
- Remember that this method highlights all instances of the minimum value if there are duplicates.
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Frequently asked
What if my data has headers?
Adjust the range in the formula to start from the first data row, excluding the header.
Can I highlight multiple columns at once?
Yes, select all desired columns before applying the conditional formatting rule.
How do I change the highlighted color?
After setting up the rule, click on the format style icon and choose a different color from the options.
More on Conditional formatting
See all →How-to
How to highlight the lowest value
Highlight the smallest number in a range with Conditional Formatting and a MIN-based custom formula in Excel and Google Sheets — including how to ignore blanks and highlight the lowest N.
How-toHow to highlight cells greater than a value
Highlight cells above a threshold with Conditional Formatting in Excel and Google Sheets — built-in greater-than rules, custom formulas, whole-row highlighting, and dynamic thresholds.
How-toHow to highlight duplicate values
Highlight duplicate cells automatically with Conditional Formatting using a COUNTIF rule — no formulas to copy manually.
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 blank cells
Use conditional formatting with ISBLANK to automatically highlight empty cells in your spreadsheet for easy visual identification.
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.