Conditional Formatting, =A="", then stop conditional formatting for row

Question

I am fairly novice when it comes to excel and am trying to establish some formatting rules for a workbook at work to help with tracking.

For some details, Column A contains employee names, Columns B-Z contain various data points that we track per employee. I have a conditional formatting rule that if cell is blank for B:Z then highlight it.

This has unintentionally caused entire rows to be highlighted, which I don't really want, so I am trying to write a rule that would pretty much dictate, "If A is blank, then stop conditional formatting for row." Or for example, "If A75 is blank, then stop conditional formatting for Row 75."

I have tried doing =A="" with conditional formatting of no fill and "If True Then Stop" but it just does not seem to work.

Any pointer and/or visuals would be great!

Answer 1

The rule is written for the range to be formatted to begin in B2. It appears that you included Column A. Start your range in B2 and go to your end. All you need is this rule because Column A is not intended to be formatted, but the rule keeps any other cells in a row with a blank in Column A from being formatted.

Answer 2

Hi LGleason. I am an Excel user like you.

Here is a formula to use in the Conditional Formatting. I included B2: Z7 in the range to be formatted. Adjust the range for the number of rows you need included.

=AND($A2<>"",B2="")

Answer 3

By the way, looking at your original formula =A2="", one of the issues is that when you select a range that includes other columns to apply Conditional Formatting, Excel adjusts that formula as it applies it across the row. In other words, in Column B it will apply it as =B2="" and in Column C it will be =C2="", etc. That is why I emphasized the $ sign before the A in the first condition. With that it keeps the same =$A2<>"" formula all the way across the row.