Please Note: This article is written for users of the following Microsoft Excel versions: 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. If you are using an earlier version (Excel 2003 or earlier), this tip may not work for you. For a version of this tip written specifically for earlier versions of Excel, click here: Copying Conditional Formatting.

Copying Conditional Formatting

Written by Allen Wyatt (last updated August 10, 2024)
This tip applies to Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021


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In Excel, conditional formatting is considered part of the regular formatting of a cell. If you want to copy conditional formatting from one cell to another, you can do so by simply copying the cell and pasting it (or its format) to another cell. If you want to copy a conditional format to a range of cells (and only the conditional format), the easiest way to do so is by following these general steps:

  1. Select the cell that contains the conditional format you want copied.
  2. Display the Home tab of the ribbon.
  3. In the Styles section, click Conditional Formatting. Excel displays various options related to conditional formatting.
  4. Click Manage Rules. Excel displays the Conditional Formatting Rules Manager. The format you want copied should already be filled in. (See Figure 1.)
  5. Figure 1. The Conditional Formatting Rules Manger.

  6. Select the conditional formatting rule you want copied.
  7. Click the Duplicate Rule button. The selected conditional formatting rule now appears twice in the Rules Manager.
  8. Within the duplicated rule, select whatever appears in the Applies To box.
  9. Press the Delete key. The Applies To box should now be empty and the insertion point still within it. (See Figure 2.)
  10. Figure 2. Ready for a new range.

  11. Using the mouse, click and drag to select the range of cells to which the conditional format should be applied.
  12. Click the OK button to dismiss the Rules Manager.

That's it. Excel does the rest and copies the conditional formatting, as you desired. Technically, the conditional formatting rule wasn't copied, but moved. When you click OK (step 10), the duplicated step is moved to the target range you specified (step 9) and removed from the original cell selected (step 1).

ExcelTips is your source for cost-effective Microsoft Excel training. This tip (6253) applies to Microsoft Excel 2007, 2010, 2013, 2016, 2019, Excel in Microsoft 365, and 2021. You can find a version of this tip for the older menu interface of Excel here: Copying Conditional Formatting.

Author Bio

Allen Wyatt

With more than 50 non-fiction books and numerous magazine articles to his credit, Allen Wyatt is an internationally recognized author. He is president of Sharon Parq Associates, a computer and publishing services company. ...

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What is five less than 6?

2024-08-18 11:38:11

J. Woolley

Notice the duplicated rule can only be applied to a range within the same worksheet. You cannot apply the duplicated rule to another worksheet.


2024-08-12 23:55:40

Peter

@Enno
I have no idea about the missing button, but you can edit the range directly in the "Applies to" box of the format of interest.
If you plan to type a new or expanded range into the box directly press F2 first so that arrow keys work on the text not the references.
So long as you know the target range/address, typing is simpler than adding to an existing range with the mouse.
Type a comma between Applied To ranges, for example =$K$7,$L$7:$M$7


2024-08-12 02:17:54

Enno Hammes

In my Excel 2019 (German Version) this tip does not work because the "Duplicate Rule"-Button is missing. Why?


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