Excel missing 1 function, a small one but important

Question

In the latest version of Excel, the subtotal function was given a small change when it was Bold face the selection you did in the subtotal.

However there is one piece of that missing. The bolding of all the information on that line.

If that was added to the subtotal feature, then that would make it complete.

Is that in the cards for an update ?

Answer 1

Hi Martin,

Thanks for reaching out. I understand how having the entire subtotal row bolded would make reports clearer and save time when reviewing grouped data. I'm here to help!

First, the current design only bolds the subtotal cell in the first column, and this is intentional in the latest Excel versions. However, many users agree that extending this to the entire row would improve readability.

Second, while this feature isn’t officially on the roadmap yet, there are practical workarounds you can use today. One option is to collapse the outline to show only subtotal rows, then use “Go To Special → Visible Cells Only” and apply bold formatting across the selected rows. This is quick for occasional use.

Last, if you want a dynamic solution, conditional formatting works well. For example, apply a formula like =ISNUMBER(FIND("Total",$A1)) to your range and set the format to bold. This will automatically highlight rows containing “Total” or “Subtotal.”

I hope you find this information helpful. Please let me know if you have any further questions If the answer is helpful, please click "Accept Answer".

Regards,
Carlo

Answer 2

Hi Martin,

Did it work? If it did, feel free to mark my answer as helpful, it might make it easier for others to find the solution too. Let me know if you need anything else!

Regards,
Carlo

Answer 3

Hi Martin, can you please try this =ISNUMBER(SEARCH("Total",$A1:AB43910))