How to Highlight Excel Rows Based on Today’s Date Using Conditional Formatting

Overview

Conditional formatting in Excel is a powerful feature that allows you to automatically highlight cells or rows based on specific criteria. One of the most useful applications is highlighting rows that contain today’s date, making it easy to spot current or time-sensitive information in your spreadsheets.

This technique is particularly useful for:

• Task management: Highlighting tasks due today
• Event planning: Identifying today’s events in a schedule
• Data analysis: Spotting current entries in time-series data
• Project tracking: Emphasizing today’s milestones

Basic Method: Highlight Rows with Today’s Date

Step-by-Step Instructions

Step 1: Select Your Data Range

1. Select all the rows where you want to apply the conditional formatting
2. Ensure your selection includes the date column (e.g., column A) and all columns you want to highlight
3. For example, if your data starts in row 2 and you have dates in column A, select from A2 to the last column of your data

Step 2: Access Conditional Formatting

1. Go to the Home tab in the Excel ribbon
2. Click Conditional Formatting in the Styles group
3. Select New Rule from the dropdown menu

Step 3: Create the Formula Rule

1. Choose “Use a formula to determine which cells to format”
2. In the format values where this formula is true box, enter:

   =$A2=TODAY()
   

   Note: Replace A2 with your actual date column and starting row

Step 4: Set the Formatting

1. Click the Format button
2. Go to the Fill tab
3. Choose your desired highlight color (e.g., light yellow or light green)
4. Optionally, set font color or borders in other tabs
5. Click OK to confirm formatting

Step 5: Apply the Rule

1. Click OK in the New Formatting Rule dialog
2. Excel will immediately apply the formatting to matching rows

Advanced Techniques

Highlighting Date Ranges

Highlight Past Due Items (Before Today):

=$A2<TODAY()

Highlight Future Items (After Today):

=$A2>TODAY()

Highlight This Week’s Items:

=AND($A2>=TODAY()-WEEKDAY(TODAY())+1, $A2<=TODAY()-WEEKDAY(TODAY())+7)

Highlight Items Due Within 7 Days:

=AND($A2>=TODAY(), $A2<=TODAY()+7)

Multiple Date Conditions

You can create multiple conditional formatting rules for different scenarios:

1. Red highlighting: Overdue items (=$A2<TODAY())
2. Yellow highlighting: Due today (=$A2=TODAY())
3. Green highlighting: Due within a week (=AND($A2>TODAY(), $A2<=TODAY()+7))

Working with Date and Time

If your column contains both date and time, use:

=INT($A2)=TODAY()

This formula extracts just the date portion, ignoring the time component.

Practical Examples

Example 1: Task Management Sheet

Task	Due Date	Status
Review report	1/12/2026	Pending
Team meeting	1/13/2026	Scheduled
Project deadline	1/12/2026	In Progress

Using =$B2=TODAY(), rows with today’s date (1/12/2026) will be highlighted.

Example 2: Event Calendar

Event	Date	Location
Conference	1/12/2026	Convention Center
Workshop	1/15/2026	Office
Webinar	1/12/2026	Online

Apply the same formula to highlight today’s events.

Troubleshooting Common Issues

Issue 1: Formula Not Working

Problem: The conditional formatting isn’t highlighting any cells Solutions:

• Ensure your date column actually contains date values, not text
• Check that the cell reference in your formula matches your data
• Verify that your system date is correct

Issue 2: Wrong Rows Highlighted

Problem: Unexpected rows are being highlighted Solutions:

• Use absolute column reference ($A2) to prevent shifting
• Check for hidden characters or extra spaces in date cells
• Ensure consistent date formatting throughout the column

Issue 3: Formatting Doesn’t Update

Problem: Yesterday’s highlighted rows are still highlighted Solutions:

• Press Ctrl + Alt + F9 to force Excel to recalculate
• Check if calculation is set to “Automatic” (File → Options → Formulas)
• Save and reopen the file

Best Practices

1. Use Absolute Column References

Always use $A2 instead of A2 in your formulas to ensure the column reference doesn’t change when applied to other columns.

2. Test with Sample Data

Before applying to large datasets, test your conditional formatting rules on a small sample.

3. Document Your Rules

Add comments to your worksheet explaining what each conditional formatting rule does.

4. Regular Maintenance

Periodically review and clean up conditional formatting rules to maintain spreadsheet performance.

5. Consider Performance

Too many conditional formatting rules can slow down large spreadsheets. Use efficiently and remove unused rules.

Alternative Methods

Using Excel Tables

If your data is formatted as an Excel table, conditional formatting will automatically extend to new rows:

1. Select your data and press Ctrl + T to create a table
2. Apply conditional formatting as described above
3. New rows added to the table will automatically inherit the formatting rules

VBA Solution for Advanced Users

For complex scenarios, consider using VBA macros:

Private Sub Worksheet_Calculate()
    Dim cell As Range
    For Each cell In Range("A2:A100")
        If cell.Value = Date Then
            cell.EntireRow.Interior.Color = RGB(255, 255, 0)
        Else
            cell.EntireRow.Interior.ColorIndex = xlNone
        End If
    Next cell
End Sub

Conclusion

Conditional formatting based on today’s date is a simple yet powerful way to make your Excel spreadsheets more dynamic and visually informative. By automatically highlighting relevant rows, you can quickly identify time-sensitive information without manually scanning through data.

Remember to:

• Use the TODAY() function for current date comparisons
• Apply absolute column references in your formulas
• Test your rules before applying to large datasets
• Consider multiple rules for different date scenarios

With these techniques, your Excel spreadsheets will become more efficient tools for managing time-sensitive data and improving your productivity.