Making every other row shaded in Google Sheets is a great way to improve the readability of your data. It’s often referred to as “zebra striping” and can be done easily using conditional formatting. Here’s a step-by-step guide on how to apply shading to every other row in Google Sheets:
Step 1: Open Your Google Sheet
Start by opening the Google Sheets document you want to format.
Step 2: Select the Range to Format
Click and drag to select the cells or range of cells that you want to apply the striping to. You can also click on the letter at the top of a column to select the entire column or click on the row number to select the entire row.
Step 3: Open Conditional Formatting
With your cells selected, click on ‘Format’ in the menu bar and then select ‘Conditional formatting’ from the dropdown menu. This will open the Conditional Format Rules sidebar on the right-hand side of your screen.
Step 4: Create a Custom Formula
In the Conditional Format Rules sidebar, under the “Format cells if” dropdown, scroll down and select ‘Custom formula is’.
Step 5: Enter the Custom Formula
Enter the following formula into the input box provided:
=ISEVEN(ROW())
This formula will check the row number for each cell in the selected range and determine if it’s even. Conditional formatting will apply to all the even rows.
Step 6: Set the Formatting Style
Under the formula box, you will see the ‘Formatting style’ section. Click on the ‘Fill color’ button and choose the shade of color that you want for your alternating rows. You can adjust the text color as well, but for zebra striping, typically only the fill color is changed.
Step 7: Apply the Formatting
Once you have chosen your formatting, click ‘Done’ to apply the rule. You should see every other row in the selected range shaded with the color you chose.
Step 8: Adjusting Your Selection
If you need to adjust the range or modify the custom formula, you can always go back to the Conditional Format Rules by going through ‘Format’ > ‘Conditional formatting’ again. You can then click on the rule to edit it or add a new range of cells.
Tip
If you want to shade the odd rows instead of even rows, you can use the formula:
=ISODD(ROW())
and follow the same steps as above.
Removing Formatting
If you decide that you no longer want the conditional formatting, you can remove it by going back to ‘Format’ > ‘Conditional formatting’, selecting the rule, and clicking on ‘Remove rule’ at the bottom of the sidebar.
Conclusion
Shading every other row in your Google Sheets using conditional formatting can help to visually separate your data, making it easier to read and analyze. By following these simple steps, you can add a touch of professionalism to your spreadsheets in no time.