You can use the custom formula function in Google Sheets to apply conditional formatting to cells based on multiple text values.
The following example shows how to use the custom formula function in practice.
Example: Conditional Formatting Based on Multiple Text Values in Google Sheets
Suppose we have the following dataset in Google Sheets that shows the position and points scored by various basketball players:
Now suppose we would like to apply conditional formatting to each cell in the Position column that contains one of the following specific texts:
- Starting
- Forward
- Center
To do so, we can highlight the cells in the range A2:A11, then click the Format tab, then click Conditional formatting:
In the Conditional format rules panel that appears on the right side of the screen, click the Format cells if dropdown, then choose Custom formula is, then type in the following formula:
=regexmatch(A2, "(?i)starting|forward|center")
Once you click Done, each of the cells in the Position column that contains either Starting, Forward, or Center will automatically be highlighted:
Note: We chose to use a light green fill for the conditional formatting in this example, but you can choose any color and style you’d like for the conditional formatting.
Additional Resources
The following tutorials explain how to perform other common tasks in Google Sheets:
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting Between Two Values
Google Sheets: Use “Not Equal” in Conditional Formatting
Google Sheets: Conditional Formatting if Another Cell Contains Text
