How to Apply Conditional Formatting to Dates Greater Than Today in Excel
Question details
The user needs to highlight multiple formula-based dates in an Excel table that are later than the current date, without having to format each cell individually.
- Product
- Excel
- Device & OS
- not provided
- Scenario
- Managing an Excel table containing formula-based dates across multiple columns where future dates need to stand out.
- Observed behavior
- The goal is to automatically apply formatting to all cells containing a date strictly greater than today using a conditional rule.
Ensure that the cells you want to format are recognized as actual dates in Excel, rather than text strings, so the TODAY() function can evaluate them correctly.
Use Conditional Formatting with the TODAY Function
Apply a conditional formatting rule using the TODAY() function to automatically highlight future dates across your selected range.
Using the built-in conditional formatting tool combined with the TODAY() function allows Excel to dynamically update highlighting every time you open the workbook, ensuring future dates are always accurate.
Click and drag to highlight the complete date range in your Excel table where you want the conditional formatting to apply.
Go to the Home tab on the Excel ribbon, click on Conditional Formatting, and select New Rule from the drop-down menu.
Select 'Format only cells that contain'. Under the Rule Description, set the first drop-down to 'Cell Value', the second to 'greater than', and type =TODAY() in the input box.
Click the Format button, choose a fill color or font style to highlight the cells, click OK, and confirm the rule applies to the entire selected range.
Highlight Future Dates Effortlessly in WPS Spreadsheet
WPS Spreadsheet provides robust, easy-to-use conditional formatting features identical to Excel, allowing you to highlight future dates seamlessly with the exact same formulas.
- 1. Select your dates: Open your spreadsheet in WPS Office and highlight all the cells containing your dates.
- 2. Access Conditional Formatting: Navigate to the Home tab, click on Conditional Formatting, and choose New Rule.
- 3. Apply the TODAY function: Select 'Format only cells that contain', set the condition to 'greater than', type =TODAY(), and pick your preferred highlight color.
Frequently Asked Questions
Why isn't my conditional formatting highlighting the correct future dates?
This usually happens if your dates are formatted as text rather than serial date numbers. Select the cells, go to the Home tab, and change the number format to 'Short Date'. You can also use the 'Text to Columns' tool to convert text dates into real dates.
Can I highlight dates that are exactly today?
Yes. Follow the exact same steps to create a new conditional formatting rule, but instead of selecting 'greater than', choose 'equal to' from the drop-down menu and enter =TODAY() in the rule box.
How do I highlight dates that are older than today?
In the Conditional Formatting 'New Rule' dialog, select 'Format only cells that contain', set the condition drop-downs to 'Cell Value' and 'less than', then enter =TODAY() in the value box.
How do I remove the conditional formatting rule?
Select the formatted cells, navigate to Home > Conditional Formatting, select 'Clear Rules', and then click 'Clear Rules from Selected Cells'.
