Finding what you need in excel
Excel offers multiple ways to quickly locate and highlight important data, but choosing the right tool depends on what you’re trying to accomplish. Should you use Conditional Formatting, Filters, or just Search (Ctrl + F)? Here’s how they compare and when to use each.
Each tool serves a different purpose:
- Conditional Formatting helps highlight key information visually so you can instantly spot trends or important details.
- Filters allow you to hide everything except what you need, making it easier to focus on relevant data.
- Search (Ctrl + F) is perfect for quickly finding a specific word, number, or name without changing how your data is displayed.
Choosing the right method depends on what you’re trying to do. See the comparison below to understand which tool best fits your needs.
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| Feature | What it Does | Best For | Updates Automatically? | Hides Data? |
| Conditional Formatting | Highlights important data with colours, icons, or styles | Identifying trends, overdue items, identify duplicate data | ✅ Yes | ❌ No |
| Filters | Hides rows that don’t meet your selected criteria | Viewing specific categories or dates | ❌ No | ✅ Yes |
| Search (Ctrl + F) | Finds a specific word or number | Looking up individual values or keywords quickly | ❌ No | ❌ No |
How to Set up conditional formatting in excel
Want to see how Conditional Formatting works? Check out this visual guide to learn how to set it up in Excel (Watch time: 1 minute 36 seconds)
