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How to highlight the lowest value in a range in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Conditional formattingExcel & Google Sheets
=A2=MIN($A$2:$A$6)✓
Verified example
Computed by a real spreadsheet engine on the sample data below.
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| 80 |
| 95 |
| 72 |
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=A2=MIN($A$2:$A$6)→FALSE
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Step by step
- 1Select the range (e.g., A2:A6).
- 2Open Conditional Formatting with a custom formula rule.
- 3Enter =A2=MIN($A$2:$A$6) and choose a highlight color — all cells equal to the minimum value are highlighted.
Tips
- To highlight the bottom N values use SMALL: =A2<=SMALL($A$2:$A$6,3) highlights the three lowest values in the range.
Need it for your exact data?
Describe your columns in plain English and get the precise formula for your sheet, with the right Excel or Sheets syntax.
Frequently asked
What if there are zeros in my data that I don't want treated as the minimum?
Filter zeros out in the MIN: =A2=MINIFS($A$2:$A$6,$A$2:$A$6,">0") highlights the minimum of non-zero values (MINIFS available in Excel 2019+ and Google Sheets).
Can I highlight both the min and max in one pass?
Apply two separate Conditional Formatting rules — one for MIN and one for MAX — with different colors. Both rules coexist on the same range.
More on Conditional formatting
See all →How-to
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 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.
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.