Excel - 3 Methods to Shade Every Other Row

Posted on: 07/05/2022

Highlighting or shading every other row in Excel is a great way to make your data easier to read. I'll show three methods for applying color to alternate rows.

Shade every other row in Excel — **Share every other row in Excel**

Method 1 is my least favorite, but I see users doing this a lot. Method 2 is one of my favorite features in Excel, but for the most control, use method 3. Method 3 is Conditional Formatting and I use the MOD Function and the ROW function. The MOD function returns the remainder of one number divided by another. The ROW function tells you what row you are in.

YouTube Video

Chapters:

00:00 Introduction
00:22 Method 1
00:47 Method 2
01:27 Method 3
05:27 Closing

Method 1 - Manually select every other row

This is my least favorite method. Use the CTRL key to select every other row. It is time comsuming and if you want your data, it will be incorrect.

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Method 2 - Create a Table

Convert your range to a Table in Excel. CTRL + T is the shortcut key or use the Home Tab, and Styles group and the command Format as Table.

Tables are a great feature in Excel.

**Format as Table in Excel - Shade every other row**

Method 3 - Use Conditional Formatting

Method 3 is Conditional Formatting and I use the MOD Function and the ROW function. The MOD function returns the remainder of one number divided by another. The ROW function tells you what row you are in.

MOD Examples:

=MOD(7,2) will return 1. Seven divided by 2 is 3 with 1 remaining.
=MOD(7,3) will return 1. Seven divided by 3 is 2 with 1 remaining.
=MOD(7,4) will return 3. Seven divided by 4 is 1 with 3 remaining.
=MOD(4,2) will return 0. Four divided by 2 is 2 with 0 remaining.

ROW Examples:

=ROW(A7) will return 7
=ROW(D6) will return 6.
=ROW() will return 3, if you are in row 3 will return 3.

**MOD and ROW functions in Conditional Formatting**

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Chris Menard

Chris Menard is a Microsoft Trainer (MCT) and works as a full-time Trainer at BakerHostetler - one of the largest law firms in the US. Chris runs a YouTube channel with 900+ technology videos that cover various tools such as Excel, Word, Zoom, Teams, Gmail, Copilot, Google Calendar, and Outlook. To date, the channel has helped over 20 million viewers. Menard also does 2 to 3 public speaking events yearly, presenting at the Administrative Professional Conference (APC), the EA Ignite Conference, the University of Georgia, and CPA conferences. You can connect with him on LinkedIn at https://chrismenardtraining.com/linkedin or watch his videos on YouTube at https://chrismenardtraining.com/youtube.