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How to highlight weekend dates in Excel and Google Sheets
Topic:Conditional formattingExcel & Google Sheets
=WEEKDAY(A2,2)>5Try it with your data
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Step by step
- 1Select the date range, e.g. A2:A30.
- 2Open Conditional Formatting and choose 'Use a formula'.
- 3Enter =WEEKDAY(A2,2)>5 — with mode 2, Monday=1 through Sunday=7, so values 6 and 7 are Saturday and Sunday. Choose a highlight color and save.
Tips
- Use mode 2 (Monday=1) or mode 1 (Sunday=1) depending on your regional week start. Mode 2 is the safest for cross-region use.
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Frequently asked
The formula is highlighting non-date cells. How do I prevent that?
Wrap the formula with AND: =AND(ISNUMBER(A2),WEEKDAY(A2,2)>5) so only numeric date values are evaluated and text or empty cells are ignored.
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 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.