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# Google Sheets: Transform Project Management With One Formula
- URL: https://www.jeffsu.org/newsletter-187/
- Published: 2024-12-05T13:00:26.000Z
- Updated: 2025-09-05T12:49:17.000Z
- Description: #187
- Author: Jeff
- Tags: #newsletter, Google Sheets

*(you can easily* [*filter previous issues*](https://www.jeffsu.org/filter-previous-editions-by-app/) *by application!)*

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Hey friends - Today I’m sharing a project management tip in Google Sheets that has saved me a LOT of headache over the past few years.

For context, effective project management aims to minimize mistakes, like automatically rejecting incorrectly formatted emails.

In this example below, I want the Seller in Column D to be highlighted if they still haven’t approved their client for our event.

- I.e. If Column C says 'Pending,' we want to highlight Column D in a different color for quick identification.

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2024/12/CleanShot-2024-12-04-at-12.26.57@2x.png)

Currently, it's difficult to see who needs follow-up, especially if we apply this in a real-world use case with hundreds of names.

## Custom Formulas to the rescue

First, press OPT+/ (or ALT+/ for Windows) to open the Menu search bar and search for 'Conditional Formatting.’

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2024/12/CleanShot-2024-12-04-at-13.17.59@2x.png)

Then, under “Conditional format rules” I select:

1. Apply to Range “D:D”
2. Format cells if “Custom Formula is”
3. Followed by =C1=”Pending”
4. Highlight cells with red color

![](https://storage.ghost.io/c/db/85/db858a9d-1c4f-4993-8042-faa87b9bb3c1/content/images/2024/12/CleanShot-2024-12-04-at-13.19.44@2x.png)

Essentially, we're instructing Google Sheets to highlight cells in Column D if the corresponding cell in Column C contains ‘Pending.’

## Try it out yourself

Make a copy of [this spreadsheet](https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1-5MPhasRt6C4PJYelz0QP69Ry0EwBuORnK8AHBFZtMk/copy?ref=jeffsu.org) and play around with it yourself! Even if you rarely use Custom Formulas, make it a habit to use **OPT+/ or ALT+/** to search for Google Sheets features. 😁

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**When you’re ready,** [here are all the ways how I can help](https://academy.jeffsu.org/?utm%5Fsource=newsletter&utm%5Fmedium=email&utm%5Fcampaign=footer).

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