Highlight Dates in Google Sheets (Today, Past & Future Dates) | Conditional Formatting Tutorial

In this tutorial, I’ll show you how to highlight dates in Google Sheets using conditional formatting including:
• Today’s date
• Dates before today
• Dates after today

This is perfect for:
• Planners and calendars
• Due date trackers
• Content calendars
• Project timelines

You’ll learn how to:
✔ Highlight today automatically
✔ Visually flag overdue dates
✔ Highlight upcoming dates
✔ Set up multiple conditional formatting rules the right way

This is a beginner-friendly Google Sheets tutorial with simple formulas you can reuse in any planner or tracker.

Perfect for planners, teachers, business owners, and digital creators who want clear, visual date tracking.

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// FORMULAS MENTIONED //

Highlight Today's Date
For cell only:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Date is"
4. Select Today
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done

For entire row:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Custom formula is"
4. Enter =$J4=today()
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done
Note:
• $J4 is the first cell of where the dates are in your spreadsheet.

Highlight Before Today's Date
For cell only:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Date is before"
4. Select Today
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done

For entire row:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Custom formula is"
4. Enter =AND(NOT(ISBLANK($J4)),$J4 less than today())
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done
Note:
• $J4 is the first cell of where the dates are in your spreadsheet.
• YouTube doesn't allow me to include the less than character in this description. Inside the formula, where it says less than, replace the text with the symbol.

Highlight Before Today's Date
For cell only:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Date is after"
4. Select Today
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done

For entire row:
1. Select your cell range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Custom formula is"
4. Enter =$J4 greater than today()
5. Choose a colour
6. Click Done
Note:
• $J4 is the first cell of where the dates are in your spreadsheet.
• YouTube doesn't allow me to include the greater than character in this description. Inside the formula, where it says greater than, replace the text with the symbol.
Bonus - To add conditional formatting rules for Completed Tasks:
Based on a check box
1. Select your date range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Custom formula is"
4. Enter =$H4
5. Choose a formatting style
6. Click Done
Note:
• $H4 is the first cell of where the checkboxes are in your spreadsheet.

Based on Status Name
1. Select your date range
2. Go to Format tab, select Conditional Formatting
3. Under Format Rules, choose "Custom formula is"
4. Enter =$K4=“Completed”
5. Choose a formatting style
6. Click Done
Note:
• $K4 is the first cell of where the checkboxes are in your spreadsheet.
• Insert whatever word you'd like in between the " ".

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Видео Highlight Dates in Google Sheets (Today, Past & Future Dates) | Conditional Formatting Tutorial канала Michelle Simpkin | The Creative Wildheart