Formatting Issues

Can You Customize Excel Track Changes Highlight Colors?

Camila Milosovich Oct 12, 2026 869 views

Question details

Users want to know if it is possible to change the background fill color of cells that have been modified using the Track Changes or revision feature in Excel.

Can Excel Track Changes Highlight Colors Be Customized?

Product: Microsoft Excel
Device & OS: not provided
Scenario: Reviewing a shared or edited spreadsheet where the user wishes to make all modified cells stand out with a specific background color instead of the default formatting.
Observed behavior: Excel displays a default border and a change description tooltip when a modified cell is selected, but it does not provide a built-in setting to automatically customize the background color for all tracked changes.

Before you start

Verify whether your workbook is using the legacy Track Changes feature or the newer 'Show Changes' pane, as neither provides native background color customization.

Solution 1Recommended

Manually Apply Background Color to Changed Cells

Since Excel's Track Changes feature cannot automatically change a cell's background color, you can manually highlight modified cells using the Fill Color tool.

Excel's native Track Changes feature is designed strictly to add a border indicator and a tooltip with revision details. It intentionally avoids altering cell background colors so it does not overwrite your existing spreadsheet formatting. To color-code changes, you must do so manually.

Select the modified cells

Click and drag to highlight the specific cells or ranges that have been modified and require a distinct background color.

Navigate to the Fill Color tool

Go to the Home tab on the Excel ribbon and locate the Font group where the Fill Color (paint bucket) icon is positioned.

Choose your highlight color

Click the drop-down arrow next to the Fill Color icon. Select a Theme Color, a Standard Color, or click 'More Colors' to apply a custom background highlight to your selected cells.

Manually Apply Background Color to Changed Cells

Manual Effort Required: Because this is a manual workaround, you will need to apply the color fill each time a cell is changed if you want all revisions to share the same background color.

Solution 2

Review Excel's Built-In Track Changes Behavior

Understand what formatting can and cannot be adjusted within Excel's native revision tracking to better manage your document review process.

Free Microsoft Office alternative

Try WPS Office for Your Spreadsheet Needs

If you are frustrated by Excel's limitations, consider switching to WPS Office. It provides a lightweight, highly compatible, and completely free alternative for managing all your spreadsheets, documents, and presentations with ease.

1. Download the installer: Visit the official WPS Office website and download the free installation package for your operating system.
2. Install WPS Office: Run the downloaded setup file and follow the on-screen instructions to complete the installation.
3. Open your spreadsheet: Launch WPS Spreadsheet and open your existing .xlsx files directly without any formatting loss.

Seamless format compatibility with Microsoft Excel (.xlsx) filesFree to use for everyday spreadsheet and data analysis tasksFamiliar ribbon interface ensures zero learning curve for Excel usersLightweight installation that runs smoothly on older devices

microsoft office alternative - wps office

Frequently Asked Questions

Why does Excel only show a border for tracked changes instead of a background color?

Excel uses a subtle border and corner triangle to indicate changes so that it doesn't permanently overwrite or conflict with the conditional formatting or manual background colors already present in your spreadsheet.

Can I use Conditional Formatting to automatically highlight edited cells?

No, Excel does not offer a built-in Conditional Formatting rule specifically tied to the Track Changes feature. Automating background color changes upon cell edits requires writing custom VBA (Visual Basic for Applications) macro code.

Where did the Track Changes feature go in newer versions of Excel?

In Microsoft 365 and newer versions of Excel, legacy Track Changes has been largely replaced by the 'Show Changes' pane. To use the old Track Changes feature, you must manually add it to your Quick Access Toolbar via Excel Options.

Document & File Issues