Showcase data points in charts

Conditional formatting in charts is used to automatically change the appearance of chart elements based on data values, making important patterns and exceptions easier to see.

This article provides a walkthrough of the different types of single-click conditional formatting options available for charts. You will also learn how to customize color scales and comparison bands to suit specific reporting requirements.

Map data values to colors #

Color scales in charts make it easy to visualize patterns and magnitudes. Select the types of color scale to apply.

Highlight positive and negative values #

Use conditional formatting options to highlight values based on whether they are negative, positive, or exceed a specified threshold.

Select Negative to highlight only negative values.
Select Win and Loss to highlight positive and negative values with contrasting colors.
Select Custom Threshold to highlight values that exceed a specified threshold.

Add comparison bands #

Use comparison bands to add reference zones to show how values stack up against benchmarks or targets. They provide quick context for whether performance falls below, meets, or exceeds expectations.

The default color scheme is a grey palette. Enable Diverging color for a multi-color palette.

Modify color scales

When Reverse scale is enabled, the shades assigned to smaller values are reassigned to larger values and vice versa. Let us take a sequential color scale as an example. By default, darker colors signify higher values and vice versa. As Reverse scale is enabled, darker shades are assigned to smaller numbers.

Use the Number of bands option to define the number of color shades in the palette, based on the range of your data.

Modify comparison bands

Set Band color to Color scale to use a built-in color scheme. Choose a Color scale type (Sequential, Diverging, or Qualitative) and a Color scheme.